


Silent Seraphim

by Nethvester



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Fluff and Smut, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Origins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-08-02 00:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16295123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nethvester/pseuds/Nethvester
Summary: The past can always come back to haunt you.





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

> The Finder Series (Viewfinder), is written by, illustrated by, and belongs to Yamane Ayano. I own none of her characters and make no money from this fan fiction.  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Ryuichi – Nine_

The men were covered in dark camouflage and carried heavy firearms. Ryuichi pushed the younger children further into the dark closet, pulling the heavy coat of their Master over the smallest. The girl breathed heavily in fear but otherwise made no sound. The others behind him also obeyed his earlier terse order to not make any noise. He had protected them from the Master since he arrived in the house nearly two years prior; often taking the blame and thus the punishment for mistakes the man frequently found in their small group. Once he'd thrown himself over the youngest boy taking the beating the large man they called Master had intended to dole out to the small child. Thus regardless of the fact he was neither the oldest nor physically the largest of them, all the others looked up to him and followed Ryuichi's rare commands without question.

The Master had been unusually quiet yet frantic through the day. Constantly peering through the slats of wood that covered the few windows of the small house they lived in. Ryuichi had watched the adult as he and the others went about the daily routine of cleaning the tiny living areas. The group made grilled fish for the man for the noon meal, when the Master roughly pushed the plate away and backhanded the young boy absently. Ryuichi had the rest of the group hide in the largest closet. Whatever was causing the Master to lash out today was not normal.

Ryuichi had watched the silent men enter the house with a sigh. They were not their usual customers. These men, whoever they were, had come to kill. He watched as they tied the Master to a kitchen chair they had dragged into the bedroom. The men beat him and had Ryuichi for a moment thought the men might be there to save him and the others he would have enjoyed the blood now streaming down the Master's face.

The men had asked questions. They used a language Ryuichi did not understand but he could tell from the Master's face the questions were not ones the old man wished to answer. Finally one of the darkly dressed men rested a large handgun to the master's head. The sound was deafening. It caused the youngest boy in their group to scream. The group of men turned their guns on the closet door.

Ryuichi still didn't understand the words the men yelled, but he knew that he had to stand between the possible bullets and the only family he'd ever had. He pushed the closet door open slowly and with hands raised, stepped into the door frame. The men gestured for him to come further into the room but he shook his head.

He could feel the others crowed behind him and felt both Kei and Kazumi push the other three further back into the darkness as they pressed behind him, one at either shoulder. The three filled the door way making a wall between the ones with guns and their younger siblings. Ryuichi heard a laugh from the far side of the bedroom.

The voice was deep; it reverberated through the space and caused Ryuichi's chest to vibrate. Several words were spoken; several languages that men the Master had brought to their small house had spoken ran past the three boys in the doorway. Finally the deep voice spoke one they knew, "You don't have to fear us boys."

Ryuichi spoke then, "I don't fear you, but neither will I allow you to continue scaring my family." He squeezed his hands into fists in order to hide their tremors.

The voice laughed again, "I can see that." The small group of armed men parted and the tallest, widest man Ryuichi had ever seen crossed the room. He was well over six feet and it all appeared to be all muscle. He knelt in front of Ryuichi and smiled, "My men and I have no need to hurt your family, but I need to know if you've seen a little girl? She's only about four, long red hair with wide gray eyes." He pulled a photo from a zippered front pocket and turned it so Ryuichi could see the image.

Ryuichi kept his features schooled. He had no intentions to out the smallest and youngest of their family even if she'd only joined them a couple of months ago. Kazumi however couldn't keep his surprised gasp silent. The man nearly smiled but continued as if he hadn't heard the noise, "her parents really want her back. They've paid us a lot of money to find the people that took her and to bring her back to them."

He frowned then and stood, "I'm certain I could take your whole family with her, if she's here." Then he shrugged, "but if you don't know where she is…." He gestured to his men, "I guess we're done here." He turned to walk away.

Ryuichi didn't want to trust him; the man could be lying as easily as the Master had. However the girl had spoken of her mommy and cried herself to sleep. She often woke with screams of the word in the middle of the night. He didn't want to reach for the man stepping away from them, but he did. It meant one of them at least would be able to go home. That one of them still had parents that cared. He gripped the back of the man's coat, "Wait, I might know where she is."

The next months were filled with things Ryuichi could never remember receiving in his short life. The youngest of them did indeed have parents, American if what the barrel of a man was correct. She had been the daughter of a powerful and wealthy couple. The girl had been taken when the couple was visiting South Korea on a diplomatic trade mission for the American president. The kidnappers trying to get the sanctions against North Korea reduced if not eliminated. It was with a heavy heart that the couple refused to negotiate and instead hired the group that had found them to rescue the girl instead. Now she was back in America with her adoring parents.

Ryuichi and the others were placed in an orphanage located in Okinawa, Japan, run by a woman with close ties to the man they had met. The two youngest boys were soon adopted; easily accomplished since both were under six and most of their trauma was overwritten by the kindness of the orphanage's staff and the daily counseling the American couple insisted on paying for. Ryuichi went to the sessions and just watched. The counselor despaired of ever getting him to talk and their daily hour was spent in silence only broken by the sounds of the other children playing in the communal court yard.

Kei tried talking to him about his refusal to cooperate with the poor woman he sat with every day. Kazumi told him about how much just talking about what had happened to them had actually helped. Ryuichi would just nod and tell them he was glad they were happy now before going back to whatever book he'd been reading or school assignment he was completing.

Ryuichi, Kei, and Kazumi each caught up to their normal school grade. The adults caring for them were full of praise and were quick to point out how smart they must be considering none of them had been able to read or write when they'd arrived. Ryuichi would just nod at the praise and tackle the school work early and often. However, the orphanage staff was worried. All three boys had been approached by couples wishing to adopt one of them. The three however refused to be broken up and it was already nearly impossible to find willing parents for the older two boys. They were both nearly eleven. The staff knew the longer the boys refused the less likely potential couples would ask.

The pattern with the counselor and refusals went on for a year. One day, in early spring, the school that they were attending sent notices of advanced placement for Ryuichi. When the new term began in April he would be entering Junior High with his Kei and Kazumi.

Ryuichi was reading the letter for the fourth time as he entered the counselor's office. He was already planning; he knew Kei and Kazumi agreed with him. They needed excellent grades for the rest of his plan. The adults taking care of them meant well, but Ryuichi had long grown tired of them attempting to convince him that parents would be best. Until the orphanage the only adults Ryuichi had firm memories of were the patrons at the Master's house.

There were fleeting images of a woman. She held him in his dreams and was always at the edge of his consciousness when the rare nightmare would intrude upon his sleep. He supposed she must have been his mother; she always stared into his eyes reflecting his own golden color back at him like a mirror. However, even with her image always hovering in his brain, he felt that ultimately the adults around them could not be fully trusted. He and his brothers needed to finish their compulsory educations so they could leave, together, if Ryuichi had any say in the matter.

It was with these thoughts Ryuichi blindly entered the office. He crossed to the woman's couch and sat without looking up. Used to the young woman greeting him with a welcome, the several seconds of silence that greeted him instead caused him to raise his head. His gaze was immediately caught by the light brown gaze of the man that had taken him and the others from the Master's house. He leaned against the counselor's desk hips pressed into the front edge with his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. His palms on either side of his hips rested flat on the desk top. Ryuichi stared, wondering what possible reason brought the man here.

The man frowned, "I've been told you refuse to be adopted."

Ryuichi frowned, "I won't be separated from Kei and Kazumi." He tried to hold the man's questioning gaze but found himself dropping his eyes. It was irritating that he worried the man might take what little he and his brothers had; worse was the fear that suddenly gripped him as he thought. Would the man force him to leave his brothers?

The man leaned forward asking softly, "What if I could guarantee the three of you would not be split up?"

Ryuichi raised his head thinking the man was joking with him. No one wanted three male preteens. Kazumi's appetite alone had frightened even the most well to do of the couples that had offered. Each pair admitting that the cost of raising one of them would be hard enough; no one that adopted from this orphanage could afford all three. He shook his head again and looked down at the letter before saying, "Don't. I know no one wants us."

The man sighed and pushed himself from the desk. He crossed the room and stood over Ryuichi saying, "I don't make it a habit of lying to children, young man." He reached out and grasped Ryuichi's chin forcing it up to look into his eyes, "I have a proposition for you and your friends." He released Ryuichi's chin once the boy was paying attention. "My organization has need of new recruits." He backed up and sat on the wingback the counselor usually took during Ryuichi's sessions. "You and your brothers match all the required criteria, orphans with no living family, nearly genius IQs, and most importantly nearly blind loyalty to each other."

Ryuichi frowned, "What reason would we have to join your organization and what could that possible have to do with adoption?"

"Oh, I know all about your activities here since I dropped you off. You and your brothers have nearly cleaned up the bullying and abuse the older kids used to mesh out. You've taken odd jobs and saved every penny and your brother Kei even figured out how to take you meager savings and invest it in local stores to make it grow."

Ryuichi's frown grew; he'd been certain that their activities had not been discovered. The reduction in bullying he could see being found out but the arrangements he and Kei had organized with the local shop keeps was not. It was not that they were illegal exactly, but it was certainly frowned upon for the shops to pay three children to move merchandise between midnight and dawn. Though the fact the same shops continued to overlook the access to videos and games before they were to be released that the boys took advantage of was better than any paycheck. He clenched a fist; he and his brothers needed that extra income for his plan to work. He needed to convince the man to overlook the few bootleg copies they made, "We're not hurting anyone."

The man held up a hand and shook his head, "I honestly couldn't care about what you're doing. I care more about the why and how." He shifted in his seat, "It has not escaped the attention of my people that the three of you refuse to sell your illegal copies to children and don't even seem to entertain the thought of moving on to join any sort of gang. It also hasn't escaped our notice that you and your brothers have prevented the local Yuzaka from recruiting here since you moved in."

Ryuichi sighed, "They want the little ones to run their drug routes. It's not right; the youngest don't know what they're doing and are easily swayed by sweets." He clinched both fists harder, crumpling the letter in his hand, "It's wrong to prey on the ones who don't know better."

The man nodded, "Hence the reason we want to recruit you." He settled back into the wingback.

Ryuichi glared at the man, "How do I know you're not just more of the same? You talk like you're doing us a favor, but for all I know your organization is just as bad. Only the Yuzaka make offers like yours and I'm not joining them."

"You and your brothers could do a lot of good in this world; my organization just enables that. What you choose to do with the skills we teach you, after a short stint following my orders explicitly, will be up to the three of you." He leaned forward again, "I can only promise that I will never allow you to be spilt up, unless you ask for it. Additionally from the day you join us you'll earn a hundred times more money than your current endeavors ever will."

Ryuichi's eyes widened but there was still distrust in his voice when he asked, "What would you want us to do?"

"I want you to learn to save people." The smile that crossed the man's face turned feral, "and learn how to tell who is worth saving and who isn't with a look."

Ryuichi smiled, "Where do we sign up?"

The man shook his head as he stood. "You need to read the contract first, and discuss it with your ‘brothers'." He crossed to the desk and picked up a thick manila envelope turning to hold it out to Ryuichi. "The deal is all three of you or none of you."

Ryuichi took the package, "We're not old enough to sign contracts."

The man smiled again, "I can guarantee your adoptive…” he paused before continue with a deeper smile, "…‘parents' will sign them on your behalf." The man gestured to the door, "Go, talk to your brothers." Ryuichi nodded as he opened the door however the man added, "I'll be leaving the country at one tomorrow afternoon. If you haven't agreed to the terms in that package by eleven tomorrow; they won't be offered again."

Ryuichi nodded, closing the door behind him. He didn't see the man pick up the letter from the school and smooth it out. Nor did he hear the laughter the contents raised from the man's throat.

_Ryuichi – Sixteen_

They of course took the offer and after a tearful farewell from many of the younger children the three boys left Okinawa for a location in Europe. The primary offices and facilities were more modern than many military installations. They were joined by seventeen others none more than a couple of years older than Kei. The boys were enrolled in a private school and their grades were closely monitored. After school they were taught several martial arts each eventually allowed to move into a specialty that fit their physique and temperament.

They were often taken on long weekends into mountains, deserts, or old growth forests. Initially they were accompanied by adults; training them on how to survive the locations with little to no provisions. First aid and trained personnel, to pull them out should something go wrong, were always at hand. Eventually that stopped and the boys were expected to extract themselves and make it home on their own.

Each learned several languages, among them English, French, Italian, Japanese, Mandrian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Gifted with picking new up languages Ryuichi and another boy named Adan often sat in the cafeteria and held multilingual conversations with each other. Ryuichi and Adan were the same age and had somehow picked the same birthdate when they were helping to flesh out the new identities each boy was provided as part and parcel of their employment.

The best part of their job was that nothing they asked to learn was deigned them. Kazumi found computers early on and when he showed extreme aptitude in taking them apart, putting them back together and making them work faster and more securely several men and woman were brought in to train him in electronics. The fact that bomb assembly and disarming was included as part of the sessions was not lost on the boys.

Kei also found his calling, he had long preferred numbers to people and his natural ability to work through long columns of figures and pull them into logical order was encouraged. Between his programing skills and his ability to make others understand what he was doing both on the computers and with the financial books it was no wonder he sought degrees in finance and computer science.

All twenty of the boys were pushed to complete high school early and finish college degrees as soon as possible. Failure to meet the exacting standards the man they now knew as Colonel was met with swift and exhausting punishments. Ryuichi himself had skipped school early on; having decided that the place was too boring for his intellect. Instead he'd snuck out of the building and toured the small German town they were located in.

When he arrived back at the school to be picked up with the others he found the Colonel waiting on him. He had not gone home that night. Instead the colonel had taken him to an abandoned factory. There he'd been forced to run around the building until he could no longer stand. Each and every time he'd tried to stop the Colonel had bitten at the heels of his feet with a long bull whip. For a short while during the run Ryuichi had thought about quitting everything. Surely nothing the group could teach him was worth being whipped. However, after the second time the strike came at him he realized that the painful end of the weapon never actually touched him. He learned then that the belief one would be physically harmed could often be more powerful than the actual act.

Not all of the young boys that started with them completed the program and by the time they were all sixteen the group had been whittled down to only ten. The colonel threw a large party when the last of the ten accepted his degree from a local college. Kazumi had accepted his from California Tech just weeks earlier and both Kei and Ryuichi had returned from Harvard and Oxford respectively. The others had all achieved similar accolades. Only the best were kept for the Colonel's group.

They were provided alcohol, something that if drunk before would send each imbiber to the old factory to run laps. Smoking and recreational drugs were met with similar punishments. However that night all ten boys were supplied with several cases of strong German beer and small amounts of marijuana. They boys went to town and celebrated long into the night. Except Ryuichi, Adan, and the only other member of their group that had displayed any sort of leadership, Miguel. Kei and Kazumi drank the beer with everyone but did choose to skip the smokes.

The next morning found seven young men at the factory running laps; hangovers and sick stomachs were ignored in favor of reminding them that all choices had consequences. Ryuichi, Adan, and Miguel however found themselves led into the Colonel's office. They stood at attention, but there was no saluting. The group might train like a military organization but they weren't one. The Colonel led because everyone else respected him. He in turn trusted his closest confidants with ensuring the business was run well and everyone was treated the same.

He handed out punishments and praise in equal doses; age, time with his organization, or gender didn't matter. Do well with your assignments and you will be rewarded. Fail and punishment will quickly follow; though never more than the failure merited. Ryuichi understood and appreciated the leadership especially after he'd once caught the man running his own punishing course at the factory. The whip wielded by his second. Ryuichi had asked him the next day why he'd run and the man had smiled, "No one is perfect; it is the desire to reach that state that separates the great from those that are not."

He turned and looked across the compound's courtyard. "Even I make mistakes. When I do punishment is deserved." He'd looked at the still young Ryuichi, "after all when you make a mistake it barely affects you personally. When I make a mistake people can and often do die."

He'd laughed then, "Besides what kind of leader would I be if I demanded more from my people than I am willing to do myself?"

Now the man Ryuichi and his friends respected most was rising from his chair. He smiled at them saying, "You three have won the distinct honor of becoming commanders." He picked up three small white envelopes and handed them out. "Inside you will find the names of the men assigned to follow you. Their skills are distinctly designed to match the types of missions that I will be sending you on."

Adan looked down at the envelope, "So we're ready now?"

The colonel nodded, "At first you will just support the more experienced squads. Learn what you can from them boys; eventually your teams will be going it alone."

Ryuichi looked down at the envelop in his hands, then took a deep breath, and raised his eyes, "I guess it's time to go save the world?"

The man smiled sadly; Ryuichi would have missed it had he not been looking directly at him. He quickly laughed though and nodded, "Yes, let's save as many as we can."

_Ryuichi – Eighteen_

The joint missions with more established squads did not last long. Nearly a year after Ryuichi's, Adan's, and Miguel's promotion to squad leaders found the young men barely in touch with each other. They occasionally crossed paths between assignments catching a drink at the compound's café or swiftly sending emails from their burner phones right before said phones were crushed, burned, soaked, and otherwise destroyed.

Strangely it was late August the next time the three squads were all at the compound together. Finding none of them had any assignments for the next week, though even that could change in a moment's notice, the groups quickly planned a belated birthday party for everyone. Only Miguel's was early his recorded to be the end of November. The Colonel and Zafrir, the organization's on site psychiatrist and the colonel's third in command, joined them.

The two older men handed out packages for everyone. New laptops for the computer specialists, new tools for the electronics specialists, and books and language modules for those needing to improve their languages were just some of the gifts. The three commanders each received new handguns, a Ceska Zbrojovka for Ryuichi, a Walther PPK 9mm for Adan, him being enamored of James Bond films and a Beretta for Miguel. Once all the gifts had been opened and the guns secured in their own gun safes the two men invited the group to watch something they'd specially prepared for the squads.

The ten were led into a large viewing area on the see through side of a large two way mirror. Additional drinks were served and the young men were encouraged to settle into the deep couches facing the mirror. The Colonel and Zafrir did not join them. Suddenly the lights in the room dimmed and the room on the other side of the mirror shone with bright white light. The boys sat entranced at the sight of Zafrir naked excepting the straps of leather about him. Thick bands with steel rings adorned his throat, wrists, and ankles. Thinner straps wrapped his cock, already straining at the bonds and leaking precum.

Zafrir knelt on the floor holding a long leather strap in both of his hands. The Colonel stepped in front of the man. He held several steel D-rings. The boys watched as he spoke to Zafrir; they could not hear the words but it was clear from the man's actions that the Colonel was directing him where to put his hands and arms. Soon Zafrir was hog tied and positioned with his ass high in the air. The leather strap not once dropped as the colonel pulled and directed his limbs. Finally the Colonel nodded and took the strap from Zafrir. He held it out and the tied man kissed it.

Over half of the young men left the viewing room once the lashing started. Kei and Kazumi left as soon as the lashes drew blood. They had all been taught how to torture information out of people. Leveling blows to ribs and heads, water boarding, and electrocution had all been explained and demonstrated in the past year. The boys however had all accepted that those actions were to be kept for the extreme enemies. Most could not watch the beating of someone they believed to be family.

Ryuichi, Adan, and Miguel however stayed. Each less focused on the blows landing on Zafrir's behind and legs and more on the man's face. At first none had known what was going on but at some point a guttural scream of a name escaped the otherwise silent mirror. In fascination the three watched the colonel drop the strap and kneel behind the psychiatrist. Freeing his own cock he pressed himself into the bound man's anus. Several thrust later the colonel released Zafrir's tied penis. He screamed again as he came violently. The lights in the room they sat in came on and the mirror went dark.

None left the room when the lights came on. It was nearly an hour before Zafrir and the Colonel joined them. Zafrir came in garbed in soft shorts and a sleeveless tee. He poured a fifth of the bourbon located at the small wet bar behind the couches and downed it before stretching out face down on the longest of the couches and resting his head on his crossed arms.

Soon after the colonel joined them dressed in the uniform he wore every day. He also took a glass of spirits from the bar. However he didn't down it. He smiled at the three young men and gestured for them to turn the couch they shared around to face him before sitting next to Zafrir's head. The boys watched as the colonel gently lifted and settled Zafrir's head in his lap. He smiled down at the man and softly carded his fingers through the man's brown hair.

Ryuichi was the first to break the silence, "What was that? Why did you punish Zafrir?"

Adan followed immediately with, "What could he have done to deserve that?"

The young men heard Zafrir laugh first. The colonel sipped his alcohol and replied, "Oh I wasn't punishing Zafrir; I was rewarding him." Zafrir chuckled again. "He's a terrible exhibitionist and insisted that you boys were ready to learn the more refined techniques."

The colonel looked at the door the others had left through, before continuing, "He was right about which of you would stay for the whole show."

Miguel swallowed before questioning, "That was a reward?"

The colonel smiled and kissed Zafrir's hair before saying, "For Zafrir, absolutely. Though I didn't show it to you for that reason, as I said, Zafrir likes being watched. My reason for choosing your squads however is because when learned properly you can torture someone with those techniques without permanently harming them. Useful when the person you need information from can't or shouldn't be brought to the brink of death." He took and other swallow of his drink. "Not everyone you will deal with can be permanently harmed or killed. Some of them have to be dominated instead."

Ryuichi was again the first to ask, "How do we learn to do what you did?"

The other two nodded. The colonel smiled at the looks of anticipation on their faces. "Well first you learn how to take it."

_Ryuichi – Twenty_

What irritated him most was the bitter cold. It wasn't the annoying whine of the chopper blades, the thump of the equipment his and Adan's men checked then double and triple checked as they flew towards their target. No it was the freezing wind slipping past the cracks of the chopper doors. Ryuichi hated working in Siberia, especially in late December.

Adan was signaling him. He looked where the man was pointing and smiled grimly. A small compound was coming up on their starboard side. He reached up and clutched a strap as the chopper tilted. He signaled back to Adan and both squads checked their weapons and equipment yet again. Somewhere in that compound was the son of a Japanese Diet member. Normally only one squad would be sent for something this simple.

However, Intel had revealed that the compound was not just the location for holding political hostages. No the place also supposedly stored several nuclear warheads. The Russian Mafia was planning on selling dirty bombs. Adan's job was to rescue the missing boy; Ryuichi and his men would be dismantling the dangerous warheads. Preferably bringing the nuclear material back with them for proper disposal by the British agency that had hired them.

They slipped from the chopper nearly three miles from the compound. Silent and deadly was the plan. They had orders to spare none of the Russian group's members. The compound didn't know what hit them. Adan and his men slipped right over the tall wall and quickly opened the main gate for Ryuichi and the others. With zero noise the two squads swept the compound eliminating every person with a gun that wasn't part of their teams.

Nearly thirty minutes later they still hadn't found the missing boy or the warheads. Frustration was creeping across both Ryuichi's and Adan's brains. They pulled up the schematics they'd been given of the compound and glared. It was Kazumi that figured it out. The back wall of the largest building was longer on the outside than the rooms they'd found could account for. Adan found the false wall.

Behind it was a long staircase leading down into darkness. The two squads descended but didn't find any warheads. Instead they found a medical lab, a dark disturbing medical lab, a place no one in their right minds would volunteer to go. Several rooms held large liquid filled tanks inside were people grotesquely sewn with various animal parts. Other held partial bodies or limbs from several different people obviously sutured to each other.

In the far end of the last room were small children, one hooked to several machines. The boy on the table was bleeding from his chest; they didn't see any surgeons. Adan's team medic quickly stepped up and set about trying to save the slowly dying child. It would be a black stain if they failed this mission.

The others were locked in a cage in the corner. Silver and gold blonde hair crowned their heads. They were gowned in pure white. Three boys and a girl; the older boy and the girl stood in front of the two much younger boys and for a brief second Ryuichi thought of his own attempt to protect the children behind him in a small closet so very many years ago. He signaled to his men to lower their weapons and handed his machine gun to Kei. Adan passed his own weapon to Kazumi and the two leaders slowly approached the children. They knelt, but before either could say something the girl reached out and touched Adan's face in gentle curiosity. The boy did the same to Ryuichi. He was captured by bright, blue/grey hazel eyes.

Several months later he and Adan were invited to the colonel's office. They ran into Miguel on their way there. The chatted together as they entered the building catching up on the results of assignments and the state of each other's squads.

The colonel smiled at them as they entered. He gestured to the chairs arranged before his desk. As Ryuichi took his seat he took a double glance at his mentor. The man looked tired. No, Ryuichi corrected himself, his mentor looked old. It was disconcerting; the man had never looked old before. He glanced at Miguel and Adan they had both noticed the change in the man as well.

Zafrir, entered the office moments later, crossed the room, and handed the colonel three thick manila folders. He then poured the man a glass of water and set it in the place the three commanders had always seen a glass of bourbon before. The colonel frowned at their expressions and then cleared his throat, "I've been in this business for nearly fifty years."

He leaned back and looked out the window, "I always knew I'd have to pass it on someday." He looked at the young men. "However the business we're in keeps changing and the people I'd originally tapped to take my place are not as flexible as needed." He looked back out the window.

Across the courtyard a group of children played and Ryuichi wondered what had happened to the blondes from the Siberia assignment. He repeated the short prayer to the universe that the children would not be pulled into the organization. He hoped the youngsters had been adopted quickly.

The colonel regained his attention by clearing his throat before saying, "Events have reached a point where I need to pass on this organization sooner rather than later." He leaned forward and pushed the manila envelopes towards the three men. "None of you are experienced enough to own the whole org; so I've split it up."

The three men reached out and each took a folder with their names on it. The colonel smiled grimly, "Not everyone in the org agrees with this decision but it is for the best." He gestured to the folders, "In side is each piece I am giving you. It is up to you what you will do with it. The packages detail the specifics of your own domains. The people in each government you can trust as well as the ones you shouldn't even share a drink with, well at least as far as the current governments stand today. I've also included how to know when the Special Forces and secret agencies are contacting you with valid work verses just setting you up."

Ryuichi opened his package and looked at the first page. He read for a few seconds before looking up, "You're splitting the org in three. Since you're giving me the Asian and African markets I can only assume, Adan is getting Russia and Europe, while Miguel is getting the North and South American markets."

The colonel smiled, "Straight to the point as always, Ryuichi. You are correct. Each of you knows the most about the segments of the business I'm handing you. If you read the whole package you'll see that Adan will keep this compound but others have already been set up for whoever you take with you." He leaned back before continuing, "You each get your pick of the men that have not chosen to retire. If they don't want to go with you then they will be released from their contracts."

Zafrir interrupted then, "In short don't take anyone you don't explicitly trust."

"Are we allowed to work together after this?" Adan's question carried through the office.

The colonel shrugged, "The org is yours; you can work together or not. That is up to you." He rose, "Now go read your packages. Come back tomorrow and we'll sign the paperwork."

They all stood, but Ryuichi spoke again, asking, "Why us?"

The man looked up to smiled, "Because of all my men, the three of you have never failed to do what needed to be done. You each accept that in order to keep the real darkness beaten back from the innocents you'll have to enter the darkness yourselves."

_Akihito – Eight_

The woman was hardly taller than he was. Her soft face was crowned with dark nearly black hair falling in two braids past her shoulders nearly to her hips. She smiled at him and gently took his right hand. She said words in a soft voice. He didn't understand them. The taller male standing to her right translated, "Kazumi is asking your name."

"oshibka”, he whispers the reply and hung his head. He didn't like the way the people in this place reacted to his name. When silence stretched he peeked at the man through his long blonde bangs. The frown on the man's face made him tremble and he quickly lowered his gaze back to the floor.

"Do you know where you are?" the man asked. "Do you know why you are here?"

The boy shook his head.

The man knelt and placed a warm hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled. "Do you like this place?" He gently tilted the boy's face to look at him.

The boy paused before answering that one. Instead his eyes darted about the small room avoiding the gaze of the man. It wasn't much of a room. Six small bunk beds took up most of the space along three of the walls and two small chests of drawers were tucked into the room's corners. The floor was bare save for the small pile of blocks the boy had been stacking before the two adults had entered.

It wasn't an activity that one would have thought a boy of his size would enjoy. In truth he found it one of the most boring activities he was required to perform at the facility. However the cameras tucked into the room's corners would alert the white garbed men and women apparently in charge of him and the others that lived in the building. He was more terrified of them than of the boredom brought on by stacking blocks over and over again.

One of the older white garbed men entered the room and the boy quickly backed away until the back of his legs hit the edge of the lower bunk behind him. He didn't need to look up at the man's sigh. The boy knew he was the one the others called Dr. Zafrir.

The woman and the man the boy had no names for stood and started talking. The boy didn't understand the language they used and allowed his mind to wonder. The woman reached for him again speaking softly; she pulled his arm out gently. The boy didn't fight her until he saw the syringe. The small woman and the man that had entered the room with her quickly stilled the boy. Dr. Zafrir pressed the needle to the boy's arm and soon after the room fell out of focus.

The man caught the boy to his chest and cradled him saying, "You are not a mistake and now your name will be Takaba Akihito, little one."

_Akihito – Thirteen_

His parents had been called to the school, again. Aki sat on a hard bench in front of the principal's office and tried to drown out the loud but still muffled voices coming from inside. He dabbed at the cut across his knuckles and sighed. They will never believe me he thought.

He'd been in yet another fight. It wouldn't matter that he'd been in the right or that the other two had been high school students that were picking on Kou and his cousin Hotaru. He had convinced Kou to take his cousin home. Aki hadn't wanted the girl to watch a fight; that meant there was no one currently available to back up his version of the story. Since one of the boys was the son of a local councilor the high school boys were believed when they claimed that Aki had ran at them and shoved them with no provocation.

Aki sighed again and stood as the door to the office slid open. As his father walked out followed by his mother he heard the principal say, "Takaba-san, you need to get control of that boy. I was able to convince the two he attacked today that there was no need for the police because I respect you and your job. I won't be able to do it a second time." Aki watched his father nod and slid the door closed. His mother took his arm and walked them down the hallway.

At home Akihito expected he'd be immediately put to work at the shrine. It was the usual punishment for getting into any trouble. Neither of his parents had asked him for his side of the story. In truth both had been strangely silent the whole walk home. Burning with the injustice of the situation Akihito stiffly walked past his parents once the reached their small house muttering, "I'll get started on washing the temple walk. Maybe if I start now I can finish before dark this time." His voice was low and angry.

His father's voice stopped him mid step, "So you're telling us that the principal's story was correct? You really did shove those two boys around for no reason?"

Aki felt his body turn without thought and ground out stiffly, "No. I. Did. Not. Not that either of you or that old man at the school care. None of you asked me what happened." He clinched and unclenched his fingers into fists at his sides glaring at his parents.

"I am asking now." His father reached out and placed his hand on Aki's shoulder. "I have known you for a long time Aki. You never do anything without reason. So explain yours now." He smiled then, "Only afterwards will your mother and I determine what punishment is required."

"I…. I…” Akihito was briefly lost for words. He'd been prepared for having to suck up the cleaning of the shrine's flagstone walkway and steps.

He looked blankly at his father who laughed and took his arm to guide him into their house. "I haven't seen you lost for words since you were nine." Aki's mother laughed as well as the trio removed their shoes in the genkan. She patted his back gently as she passed them when his father led him to the living room couch and said, "Sit and tell me what is going on. I know those boys from my photo shoots of the local council. If they take after their dads I suspect you caught them doing something."

Aki nodded as he sat, "One was pushing Kou around and the other was trying to pull Hotaru into the abandon park next to the school. I only charged them because she was crying." He crossed his arms and huffed, "I wouldn't have even hit them had they just walked away like I asked."

His father laughed at that, "Yes, well that would require them to use the head on their shoulders first." Aki looked up at him and saw his father purse his lips in thought. The man stood and gestured for Aki to follow him.

They exited the back of the house and entered a tiny building. It housed his father's darkroom and sundry camera equipment. Akihito paused at the doorway not bothering to follow his father fully inside. Firstly, the building was really small, not even fully the same square meters as his bedroom. Secondly, the bulk of that space was taken up with the walled off darkroom and the stored equipment; there wasn't really room for two people.

His father knelt at the back of the building and dug around several of the oldest boxes before saying, "Ah, that is where it's stored." He rose and carried a small black and silver camera case back towards the door. He handed it to Akihito, "This is my Nikon F3/T (Titan) Classic." Aki nearly dropped the case in shock. His dad caught his hands and pressed them around the case, "This is how you actually stop people like those boys."

Aki looked down at the camera case and frowned, "I don't know how to use it."

His dad laughed, "You'll learn. You can go with me after school tomorrow and take some shots of the park." He rested his hand on his son's head, "I'll show you how to load it and focus it tonight."

Aki laughed then, "Pictures would have shut their story up for sure." He looked up at his dad then, "Guess I don't have to clean the flagstones huh."

His dad shook his head, "Oh no, you still have to clean the outside of the shrine." He laughed at Akihito's outraged look and held up a hand before the sputtering boy could go off on a tirade. "You got into a fist fight just outside the school. Even without a camera there were several other options than using your fists." He smiled gently then, "That is why you will clean the flagstones. However I'm pretty sure your mother will be fine if you wait until the weekend when Kou and Hotaru can help."

Aki smiled; he and his friends always had fun when they cleaned the outside of the Shrine together. He knew that Kou and Hotaru would want to help after learning he got pulled into the principal's office too. He looked down at the camera case and smiled before looking up at his dad smiling, "Daijōbu."

His dad smiled and started back towards the house. Aki reached out and took his elbow stopping him, "Otou-san. Thank you."

The man stopped and in a very rare display of affection hugged Aki before saying, "I wouldn't do less for a stranger and you are my son." They walked back into the house together. Aki's mom served seaweed salad with dinner. Aki ate three servings.

_Akihito – Fifteen_

The girl didn't look more than ten. Though that thought reminded him of the fact everyone that first met him thought he was easily five to six years younger than his own fifteen. He frowned with that thought as he watched her glance around the street before looking at the piece of paper in her hand for the fourth time since he'd seen her.

He wouldn't have taken notice at all, had Hotaru not poked him while saying, "look someone else with your hair."

He'd been in the middle of taking pictures of the stray ginger striped kittens that he and his friends had found in the alley when Hotaru had jostled his arm. He'd frowned as he looked up, "don't shake me. The pictures will be blurry. We need good ones for the adoption fliers."

Hotaru poked him again, "I'm serious look." She pointed at the girl then, causing Kou and Takato, who were holding most of the kittens in their hands so Aki could take individual pictures of them since he had enough of the litter together, to also look up.

It was a weird feeling that traveled up Aki’s spine. Hotaru was correct; the girl’s hair was silver blonde and hung in a long single braid down her back and over her hips until it stopped just past the bend in her knees. The braid swung back and forth as the girl walked down the street.

"Seems she’s looking for something,” Hotaru said; she smiled and poked Akihito again, "You should go talk to her.

Kou and Takato laughed at that. Takato saying through his giggles, "Aki can’t talk to girls.”

Hotaru glared at the two laughing boys, "What am I? Aki talks to me all the time!”

Kou swallowed his laughter and said, "Oh, don’t give Takato a hard time Hotaru. You know you’re more like one of the guys!”

Takato nodded still laughing, "That’s true, you don’t count.”

Hotaru harrumphed and turned to leave, "you two are awful. I don’t know why I stay friends with you.” She marched off down the alley then, leaving the three boys with, "I’m going to talk to her. She looked lost.”

Aki stood then and went to follow her before the alarm went off on his watch. He looked down and cursed before turning back to his two male friends, "You two go with her. It’s going to get dark soon.”

Kou and Takato placed the kittens in their hands back in the worn cardboard box saying, "Ok, ok, we’re going.” Kou paused and asked just before they reached the end of the alley, "Wait, why don’t you chase Hotaru?”

"I promised Taiga – sensei that I’d take pictures of his wife’s rose garden. I’m already going to be late if I don’t run.” He grabbed the soft sided camera bag his parents had gotten him for his birthday and stowed his Nikon carefully. He looked up and frowned at Kou and Takato, "Go on or I’ll let Hotaru know that Takato has a crush on her.” Takato took off at a dash with that threat and Kou laughed as he followed.

The pictures of the Taiga household’s back garden were some of the best Akihito felt he’d ever taken. The garden faced the south and light from the setting sun spread across the lawn casting detailed shadows of the English vine roses Taiga – sensei’s wife so adored. The bright yellow, pink, and white flowers stood out against the dark green foliage and the small potted English ivy trailed across the flagstones. Aki took nearly three full rolls of film before the light was too low to continue.

He waved at Taiga – sensei’s wife as he left, after promising to get the pictures developed before the weekend was over. The local flower club wanted to feature her yard in their monthly and needed to have the images to pick for the layout before the coming Monday ended.

Aki walked home through the twilight smiling. The pictures of roses would be his first paying job for his camera work. He crossed the street and took a detour down the alley where the kittens were located. Someone, probably Kou, had brought the little ones a paper plate of shredded chicken. There were few remains and the four kits curled about each other for warmth. Aki pulled the bunched blanket they’d put in the box several days before up around and over the pile.

He jogged the rest of the way home. He’d gotten caught up in the photo shoot and knew his mom would be worried. He’d said he’d be back before full dark. He pushed the front door open and slipped off his shoes. He shoved them towards the getabako. He looked for his uwabaki and couldn’t find them; wondering what happened to them he slipped on the larger guest slippers and went towards the kitchen eager to share the day’s photo shoot with his dad over dinner.

As he passed the living room he heard a girl’s voice. It was high and lyrical. Aki nearly laughed at his internal description of it, but it was an apt one. The voice was soft but carried across the room and out into the hallway. He didn’t understand the language but apparently his father did. Though the words when spoken by his father were harsh and sounded almost forceful. The girl’s was almost musical.

Aki turned into the living room doorway and paused. The blonde he and his friends had seen on the street earlier was standing in front of his father. His dad was nodding at her from the overstuffed single seat chair behind which his mom stood smiling.

His mom looked up and spoke, "Aki!” She glanced out the front window and frowned, "You’re late.”

"Yeah, sorry, I got caught up in the photo shoot and lost track of time.” He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck as he mother laughed softly.

"You are so much like you’re dad.” She moved around the chair saying as she walked into the kitchen, "We’re having hamburger steak tonight go get washed up.”

Akihito looked at his dad and frowned. He looked at his mother’s back and then at the girl then frowned at his dad a second time. His dad laughed. "Come over and introduce yourself Aki. This young lady has been looking for you for several years.”

The girl turned around and smiled saying, "So you’re Takaba Akihito.” Akihito found himself staring at eyes that looked just like his.

_Akihito – Eighteen_

She was leaving; they had already been split up once and it had taken nearly seven years for them to find each other again. Kou and Takato weren’t helping either; no they were making suggestions about the places she should visit while attending the Royal Academy of Music in Britain. Akihito watched sullenly from the corner of the room; his mind full of arguments to prevent her from going. The prevailing one the fact she was still sporting a cast on her left broken forearm. Japan had not been the safe haven she had desired when first arriving.

The door opened revealing his mother’s smiling face with her arms full of the last of the wash. Even his mother was excited about her leaving. Didn’t any of them understand what she was doing to him?

The young woman in question smiled in thanks to his mom and after picking a set to wear on the plane plus two more for her carry on, shoved the rest of the clothes into the already bulging suitcase. Notebooks, sheets of incomplete music, wallet, and other sundries were placed carefully into the large bright blue backpack atop the changes of clothes. She set both next to a large metal case. Carefully wrapped in paper and bubble wrap were several instruments, among them a flute and a violin. The crate would be closed in the morning right before she left for Tokyo and her international flight.

The silver blonde girl twirled then, facing the small group filling the room she’d spent the last three years sleeping in. She passed hugs out and laughed at a joke Kou told her; all the while she agreed to be careful and promised to write them often. She talked about sending them all treats you can only get in England as well as any other trinkets she thought they’d like if she got the chance to visit another country in Europe. Lastly she stepped up to Akihito holding out her arms, "Wish me luck?”

Her eyes were bright with tears and Akihito could no longer hold his own back, "I don’t want you to leave.”

She threw herself into his arms leaving him little choice about hugging her back. He whispered into her hair, "What am I going to do without you?”

She laughed and looked up into his eyes, "I suspect you will get into lots of trouble.” Her grin grew bigger at his scowl. "I expect you to continue sending me poetry though, as well as many, many pictures.” She paused, "The pretty ones you take. I don’t really want to know what bad guy you’re putting away.”

Akihito nodded his tears drying as fast as they started. He knew that none of his arguments would work. She had found him at almost fifteen because she had wanted to. He hadn’t even remembered she’d existed. He’d never met a more stubborn person than his almost sister. However he couldn’t help one last ditch effort, "You’ll come back?”

The girl leaned back and looked him in the eye, "I’ll be back in five years no matter what. We promised Hotaru that we would.”

The three boys took her out to dinner that night. It was just to the local noodle shop but there they gave her the gift they had spent the last year collecting. It wasn’t much but they knew that she’d need starting money even in Europe and she’d refused to touch the money Akihito’s parents had set aside for her. Insisting he would need it more. After all unlike, Kou, Takato, and her, Akihito was not going to college but entering an apprenticeship his father had secured for him at a Tokyo magazine. The four of them laughed and talked far into the night. The shop keep kindly keeping the place open until the small group was ready to go home.

Akihito went to Tokyo with her, his apprenticeship started in another month and he still hadn’t found an apartment in the city. He saw her off at the airport; for once the hug they shared for nearly ten minutes caused more notice than their blonde hair and unusual eyes. Akihito went to the roof top viewing area and watched the planes leave for the rest of the day.


	2. A Little Domesticity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Finder Series (Viewfinder), is written by, illustrated by, and belongs to Yamane Ayano. I own none of her characters and make no money from this fan fiction.
> 
> Includes most of my smutty counter point to Delmire’s “Be My Kitty-Cat”. You don’t have to have read it in order to read this but I encourage you to do so. It is one of my Favorite one shots.   
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Ryuichi & Akihito Home_  
  
Akihito's phone was ringing and it was too damn early for that. A small arm escaped the thick comforter and snagged the offending device; his thumb swiped across the android's screen before grousing, "This had better be important. It's my day off and I have a long standing appointment with my bed."  
  
A feminine giggle sounded over the line causing Aki to sit up. The young woman's voice tinkled as she replied, "Well I guess I'll just have to make arrangements to have Kou pick me up." Akihito glanced at the man sleeping next to him and scrambled out of the bed. Pain in his lower back nearly sent him to his knees but he powered through it and crossed the hall to his workroom. This call was important but he didn't want Asami to overhear it.  
  
"You're coming back?" Excitement filled his voice, "When, how," he paused then, "Why?"  
  
The voice laughed again, "I believed I promised; besides I have something for Kou, Takato, and you. I should have returned it several years ago but it slipped my mind."  
  
Akihito sat on the single wide bed taking up one wall of the workroom, "What are you talking about?" He interrupted the woman's attempt to reply, "No wait we can talk once you're here. When does your plane land?"  
  
There was a pause and he heard voices before the young woman replied, "Apparently in about two hours."  
  
"What?! Wait, are you paying to call me midflight?" Akihito ran a hand across his face and sighed, "I thought you had more sense than that."  
  
The young woman laughed again, "Oh, Aki. Now are you coming to pick me up or am I going to have to take a taxi by myself the first day I'm back in Japan?"  
  
"No, No taxies!" He grimaced while thinking and then said, "I'll come get you. Do you have a place to stay? Kou could probably put you up?"  
  
The voice laughed, "No worries about that; my sponsor has arranged for housing." Akihito heard voices in the background again before the feminine voice continued, "Apparently he's rented out a penthouse somewhere in southeast Shinjuku."  
  
"Wow, I didn't know you've been doing that well." He nearly laughed thinking he lived in one of the penthouses in Shinjuku and he certainly wasn't making that much. Akihito glanced out of the one window in the room the city spread out before him and all the feelings of being inadequate, the ones he'd thought he'd gotten over since the attack on the penthouse had been resolved, came flooding back. He tucked the phone between his cheek and chin and started fiddling with the titanium chain wrapped about his wrist.  
  
The phone had awakened Asami and had his Kitten been any other person the boy's response to the ring would have made him laugh. The slip out of the bed and crossing to his workroom did make Asami curious, however. He was sliding out of bed moments after his lover closed the door to the spare bedroom; determined to learn what it was Akihito had clearly wanted to hide from him. He'd thought they'd gotten past this. In the past few months Akihito had been more forthcoming about whom he chased with his cameras and listened when Asami steered him clear of certain businesses and meet ups.  
  
They'd even come to an agreement on when Akihito would be followed by guards. Instead of all the time by a platoon of men in suits or one silent private eye, Akihito now had one permanent sentry. A young man barely older than him and able to join him on any runs across Tokyo, even the ones where Akihito felt the need to jump off buildings. The man shouldered the duty of protecting his headstrong lover, even from himself.   
  
The man's biggest charge was that there were to be no repeats of the Sudo incident. Regardless of Akihito's version of events the location of the scar he still wore on his throat was a constant reminder of how close the boy had been to death and Asami would never forget the terror of Aki climbing the stairs to the helicopter while bullets flew around him. With those thoughts in mind Asami kept a much closer watch on Akihito's movements. They had moved to a new penthouse. It had more than one escape route and the floors below now only held his men and their families. There would be no repeat of the attack from outsiders.   
  
Asami stood and silently came around their bed. Before he could leave the room though, a phone beeped from his floor. He paused. He had three of the things. One which Akihito and his staff had the number for. It was the one Akihito always saw him use. It was always the newest model and Kirishima kept it up to date. It was switched regularly for the newest and most expensive technology. The second was older but contained special encryption software on it and was actually more advanced than its battered case would lead one to believe. It was never answered and the people that called the number knew they would only get routed to a secure voicemail server.   
  
The last was a relic of times gone by. It was an old Motorola MicroTAC II with the antenna broken off. Usually it was left attached to his gun holster though he'd arrived home so early this morning that he'd not thought about hanging the holster on the back of the closet door as he usually did. In truth he'd only just locked his guns in the bedroom safe before disrobing, crawling between their bed's sheets and pulling a nearly comatose Akihito into his arms. The vigorous sex that followed actually drove the thought of hanging his holster up from his mind.   
  
It was the Motorola that was beeping now; it rarely rang. The last time it had rung crossed Asami's mind as he rummaged through his discarded clothing and pulled out the phone. The screen had long stopped being readable and Asami had to pause as he thought of the only two people that had this phone's number. He flipped the phone open and answered, "Ryuichi."  
  
The young woman's next question brought Akihito out of his depressing thoughts, "So, I can trust you'll at least meet me at the airport?"  
  
Aki smiled again, "Absolutely! Though, I need drop off now or I'll be late." The woman laughed again and Akihito felt his face blush as he stammered, "hey, you're the one that waited until the day of your landing to tell me you were even coming!" He paused then and frowned, "Wait, your last email said you'd be touring in Dubai in March!"  
  
"I wondered when you were going to catch on." The voice was giggling. "You only asked when my plane was landing not where."   
  
Akihito groused back, "Oooooo, you knew what I meant." He could hear her laugh again, "Why do all my friends pick on me!?"  
  
"Because you are so easily ruffled, you're just like a kitten with its fur rubbed the wrong way." The woman replied.  
  
"Well now you can forget me picking you up." Aki leaned back against the wall and pulled his legs up to cross them on the bed. "You'll have to convince Kou to take a day off work now."  
  
"You'd really risk making me find my own way around Tokyo? What happened to the ‘I'm obviously the older of us two and I have to take care you.' Aki I knew from high school?" the woman sighed, ‘I'll guess I'll just have to trust I don't get a bad taxi driver."  
  
Akihito could hear the worry in his friend's voice and thought briefly about all the things that could happen to his small friend if said blonde had to ride with someone unknown and sighed back, "No, no taxies. You know I'll pick you up. Email me the details and I'll ensure I have no photo shoots that day."  
  
The giggling was back as the woman said, "The details are on the way. Thanks, Aki and…" The woman paused before continuing, "…I hope you let me meet your Asami while I am there."  
  
He drew in a sharp breath. She was the only one of their friends that knew about Asami. She hadn't believed a second of his story about Hong Kong and had wheedled the truth and knowledge from him during a long phone call she'd stayed up to make one morning after her set in London. She'd stayed up just to ensure he'd be awake and available for her to lecture him about trying to pass off that story via email. He'd never been able to lie to her. She was as good as Asami was at telling when he was avoiding the truth.  
  
"Aki?" Her voice was softer and had slipped into her serious mode. "I won't pester you about him, if you don't want me to. But, I'd like to meet the man that has your heart."  
  
Akihito's face went a deeper red and he stammered again as he replied, "No, no, you're not pestering." He paused; he never planned on any of his friends or family meeting Asami. It wasn't that he was ashamed of the man, but he honestly didn't know how they'd react.   
  
Kou and Takato never pressured him to settle down, but they also didn't understand why he never took up with any of the girls that flirted with him at the clubs. Though, Kou was certain it had to do with the rich older girlfriend his imagination had turned Asami into.   
  
Truth was he honestly just didn't know how to go about telling anyone and he certainly didn't relish the embarrassing teasing that he was certain even his best friends would dish out once they knew. After all, his mom still bugged him about finding a nice girl. She really wanted grandkids; lots of them if her most recent comments were to be believed. He refused to think about what his father would say.   
  
A small sigh brought him back to the fact he was still on the phone. He smiled then, "No, I want you to meet him. I just don't know how or when."  
  
"Well you have until June to figure it out." The voice turned and Aki could hear others speaking in the background before the young woman came back online. "I've got to go. There is a briefing we all have to go through before landing. I'll call again in a few weeks when I'm settled in the resort at Colva Beach."  
  
"Colva Beach?" Aki questioned trying to keep the conversation going. He found that like the last time they'd actually been able to talk, he didn't want her to drop the call.  
  
"It's on the western coast of India and I'll be there at the end of April." She sent him kisses through the phone, "Now, I really have to go. See you in June."   
  
"See you." Akihito said as the line went dead. A brief second later the phone buzzed letting him know that he'd gotten an email. He glanced through it and noticed she'd sent him her entire tour itinerary. She'd be in Tokyo for a while according to the dates. In fact she'd be in Japan nearly a year unless things changed it seemed. There was a week in June blacked out; it was around the time Hotaru's anniversary. He smiled; she hadn't forgotten the promise.  
  
Asami's German was rusty. It had been nearly eight years since he'd last used it. The voice on the other end of the phone chuckled and quickly switched to Italian a language they both spoke better than Asami spoke German or his caller spoke Japanese.   
  
"As I was saying there are complications from an old mission. I'd like you to be in on the solution."  
  
Asami frowned, "What mission? I thought we'd settled all the old business in the months following the Colonel's funeral?" He moved out of the bedroom and into the secret room. He doubted Aki would eavesdrop on purpose but, this phone call, more than any other, he didn't want his young lover overhearing. Like all of his bondage rooms this one was sound proof.   
  
"I did also. However I'm not talking about a case the Colonel was handling just before he died. This one is much older."  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Russia, remember the medical research facility?"  
  
Blond hair, gray/blue eyes, and the soft touch of hands flashed through Asami's thoughts. He pulled out an older laptop from the gun case the room held and booted it up. He pulled up one of the older files on it and scanned the information.   
  
The voice on the other side of the phone continued, "It appears the site has become active again. My Russian contacts are unusually nervous and I've been forwarded some interesting dark web requests." Asami's laptop beeped and he opened the file it had received as the man finished "It appears that someone is still looking for those kids."  
  
The file was large and Asami had to wait more seconds than he wished before the images contained within finally opened. A teenage Akihito smiled out at him from the screen. The man was still talking and it took Asami several seconds for his brain to formulate words from the buzzing noise the man's voice had become upon Asami seeing Aki's picture. "I have a particular interest in keeping these kids safe. The boy in the file I sent you lives in Tokyo now and his sibling will be joining him in early June. I have the other two boys safe at my compound, but these two would rather jump off buildings than be caged up; even for their own safety."  
  
Asami grunted back smiling at the fact the man's description of Akihito's thoughts about cages was disturbingly accurate. He interrupted asking, "How do you know where they are? I thought contact with rescues was discouraged."   
  
The voice laughed, "Oh I still maintain that rule; but the girl is both persistent and stubborn. She sought us out when she was twelve, intent on finding her brothers. How she found us she still hasn't told me." The man grunted then, "I helped her find the other three and she went off to Japan to attend High School with the boy still living there."   
  
"How did you find them?" Asami had almost forgotten the four children. Though in retrospect he figured his attraction to Akihito could have stemmed from his earliest interaction with the boy. Gray/blue eyes and blonde hair had always appealed to him.  
  
"It appears that the Colonel ensured the four of them were adopted by retiring members of the corp." the voice paused and Asami heard shuffling papers in the background. "The boy was taken in by a couple from the Japan branch. A woman specializing in Music and her spouse one of the Colonel's plants in the media." The man laughed as he reminisced, "I wonder if it was the same woman that tried to teach us piano?"  
  
Asami chuckled then, "I never did know why the colonel insisted we all take up some musical instrument."  
  
The man laughed as well, "Oh Zafrir said that learning music was important to enable proper emotional growth. He was of the opinion that some of us would never talk to people when we needed but we might let out our thoughts and feelings through music."  
  
"How is he?" Asami asked.  
  
"Old, though don't tell him I said that. He can still make me feel like a three year old with a hand caught in the cookie jar."  
  
Asami laughed again, "Yeah, he was good at that."  
  
"Anyway, read the files I sent. I really think we need to find the young man and see if we can get him to at least accept some sort of guard."  
  
Asami looked down at the picture of Akihito again, "What do you think is going to happen?"  
  
"Someone is trying to get them back. The person is offering one hundred million US dollars for each of them alive. I have no idea why." Asami heard shuffling papers again. "I've taken on managing the girl's music career so I've been able to increase the sentries on her during her tour. However she's going to be hard to keep track of once she gets back with him. I wasn't kidding about the jumping off buildings. It was how we met."  
  
Asami laughed out loud at that, "Oh really."  
  
"Yeah she broke into our secondary computer system while it was in Berlin. She got in before we even knew what was going on. However, she did it by sneaking into the building as part of the cleaning crew. We found her easily enough but she just went up the stairs to the roof. I nearly had a heart attack when she jumped. I hadn't even realize she was tied off with repelling gear until I looked over expecting to see her broken body on the street." The man laughed again, "She stuck her tongue out at me."  
  
The story was so close to his first meeting with Akihito that he laughed again. He wanted to meet this girl. His friend continued, "I'm not into pedophilia though, so after we caught her and learned she was only looking for her brothers I helped out and sent her on to Japan." He chuckled again, "I should have known she'd seek me out once she graduated. She marched right up to the compound's gates on her first University break. I tried to cut off contact but she's like a little cat always showing up where and when I least expected it."  
  
"I can understand the frustration." Asami thought through all the encounters with Akihito in the early months of their relationship. ‘A little cat' was an apt description. There was a reason he called the boy kitten. With the fire that filled Akihito's eyes, the curiosity and stubbornness that got him into trouble, not to mention his resiliency combined with his easily roused embarrassment and temper, ‘kitten' was the only nickname that really fit.  
  
"Oh, how is the bracelet working out?" the man asked.  
  
"Fine, it fits well and even when it gets wet it still transmits the correct location. I'm glad our GPS system is working so much better." Akihito didn't know the plate and chain bracelet given to him for Christmas and engraved with "Into the Abyss" on one side of the plate and their names on the other actually held a GPS tracker. Additionally it was locked around the boy's wrist. A tiny key was required to remove it. Akihito had a copy of the key but he'd yet to remove it in the months since he'd had allowed Asami put it on him.  
  
"Good, my Kitena is wearing one similar; I'll send you the transmitter code. Do you think you'll be able to find the boy? I can tell you my girl plans on having him pick her up from the airport in June, but I think it'd be best if there were people put on him sooner rather than later."  
  
Asami nodded as he said, "I don't think I'll have issues finding him. Send me what you have on him." Asami thought, it will be more information than we pulled. I didn't even know he was adopted. He decided he'd have Kirishima do an actual deep dive on information about the boy and his parents. He set to forwarding the information now on his laptop to his ever faithful secretary and friend while saying into the phone, "I still need to know the actual threat."  
  
"Kidnapping and given the state of the place we originally found them in I'd say medical experimentation if nothing else. There are several writs out for the four of them some don't ask for them to be alive." The man sighed, "I'll be joining my Kitena when she reaches Korea, I'll send you anything I learn between now and then."  
  
"Fine, until then I'll reach out to my contacts. Does the request name them?" Asami worried, plenty of people in the underbelly of Japan knew about Akihito. Most knew not to touch the boy, but there were always groups that thought they could use him to bring Asami down. A hundred million US dollar bounty out on him would just feed the piranhas.   
  
The man on the other end of the phone grunted, "not yet," and hung up. Asami closed the lap top after forwarding the emails and attachments. He placed the computer back in the hidden gun case under the large bed and exited the secret room, silently thanking Akihito's lack of interest in prying. That aspect of him was another reason Asami liked the boy so well.   
  
Akihito was a photo journalist and tenacious about researching and following the trails of his targets. His desire to only report the truth had him ferreting out everything about them. That tenacity had once been pointed at Asami; however after Hong Kong Akihito had stopped investigating him. Apparently that meant not prying into Asami's business or personal space. Akihito had joined him in the room several times since he stumbled upon the one in the original penthouse; however the only thing the boy had ever touched were the guns left on display.   
  
He paused as the hidden door closed; thoughts of the last time he and Akihito had used the other items in the room. Akihito had made him bourbon filled chocolates for Valentine's Day, along with them was a small stack of homemade business cards; each giving Asami twelve hours of Akihito's time. Each promising him Akihito would follow his every command during the time without protest. Asami had used one of the cards immediately. Akihito had had to wear long sleeves and un-ripped jeans for the next several days when he worked. However he never tried to hide the rope marks and hickies that covered him when at home.  
  
Sounds in the kitchen roused Asami from his thoughts. It is Akihito's day off, he thought. He reached into his bedside table and pulled out one of the three remaining cards. Asami smiled as he brought the card to his lips and dialed Kirishima.   
  
Akihito was cooking. He typically did the chore whenever he had both time and knowledge that Asami would be able to eat the fruits of the labor. When he was by himself he'd normally consume leftovers or junk instant ramen from the nearest convenience store. Though, even that wasn't true since Asami had moved them to a new penthouse in the outer most portion of southeast Shinjuku. There were no actual convenience stores in conservative walking distance now. The closest was over seven blocks away.  
  
Aki paused in chopping the cabbage he intended to stir fry and sighed before muttering, "I should pick some up from the place near Kou's. At least I'd have some on hand when I don't feel like cooking for just myself."  
  
"Pick up what?" Asami's voice broke Akihito's thoughts.  
  
Aki looked over his shoulder frowning, "I didn't wake you when I got up did I?" He almost sighed in relief when Asami shook his head no. He picked up the knife again saying, "Good, you got in so late last night." He paused again and looked up peering at Asami's face. "Are you sure you slept enough? It's only seven and you didn't get in until after four."  
  
Asami smiled and came further into the kitchen. He wrapped his arms about Aki and kissed the younger man's hair before saying, "Most of my day is paperwork, though I have to meet with Mayeda from the Diet much later tonight. He wants me to invest in his son's music career."  
  
Aki smiled, "That sounds so mundane for you." He finished the cabbage and pulled over a carrot and started julienning it. "What could you possibly do for someone's music career?"  
  
Asami snatched a carrot stick from the growing pile and replied, "I happen to be heavily invested in two separate record labels under Sion Corp."  
  
The knife paused again and Akihito looked over his shoulder surprise covered his face, "Wait, you are?"  
  
Laughter nearly caused Asami to choke on the carrot he'd snatched. "Yes, one that caters to children's music and another that produces for teens to adults." He leaned over and smiled, "It means I don't have to pay royalties on the music I play in my clubs."  
  
"Humph, that sounds more like you." Aki finished the carrots and hip bumped Asami to move so he could pull out a skillet. He set it on the stove and turned on the gas before pulling spices and oil from the cabinets. Asami wrapped his arms about his waist as he reached for the egg pan. "Really, if you want breakfast you're going to have to let me go."   
  
Asami rubbed himself against Aki's behind. Aki almost held his sigh in as evidence of Asami's arousal worked itself between his butt cheeks. Aki turned off the gas and pushed the skillet to the back of the stove when Asami asked, "Am I correct to assume you've got all the prep work done?"  
  
Akihito nodded, turned around in Asami's arms and wrapped his arms around Asami's neck, "Mostly, I was going to make ochazuke to go with the eggs and cabbage. There should be enough left for some bentos for you to take to the office."  
  
"Hum," Asami leaned down and took Aki's mouth. The kiss was deep and drawn out. Their tongues danced together inside and between each other's mouths. After several minutes, Asami raised his head and looked into Akihito's eyes. He adored the slightly confused look they always had when Aki was lost to the sexual passion he typically kept pent up. Akihito's lips and chin glistened with saliva; he reached up and gently wiped them dry with his thumb. "Sounds delicious. Though you'll want to put the bentos in the fridge; I'm going to work from home to day." He held up the card he'd put in his pocket earlier with a lecherous grin.  
  
It took Akihito several breaths before his brain connected the dots between the kiss and the card Asami was hold in front of his eyes. When the connection was made the running shorts he'd slipped on with a white tank top before he'd started cooking became unbearable tight. A part of his brain heard the nonsensical sounds his throat made in response. Irritated with his own inability to think straight made him frown.  
  
Asami frowned in response, "I figured I was being generous using one on your day off." He went to step back.  
  
Akihito grasped Asami's neck harder pulling Asami back towards his chest and preventing the man from disengaging as he gasped out, "Not saying no." He closed his eyes and buried his face in Asami's chest. He could feel the reddening blush creep over his cheeks, "Give me a second to think."  
  
The chest he leaned against rumbled with laughter. Asami carded his fingers through Akihito's hair, "I like it when you're having difficulty thinking." He ran his hand down Aki's back and cupped both butt cheeks in his hands. He picked the blonde up and rubbed their erections together, "You're so much more honest when I've got you delirious."   
  
Aki grunted and wrapped his legs about Asami's waist before gasping out, "I have a model shoot tomorrow. I have to be able to get there by ten."  
  
Asami walked them back to their bedroom and opened the secret room for the second time that morning. He kissed Aki again as he pushed at the blonde's hips causing him to slid down and stand. Asami stepped back and closed the door, "strip."  
  
It was nearly noon when the two of them finally sat down to the food Aki had originally prepped for breakfast. Asami read the newspaper as they ate, occasionally glancing at Akihito sitting uncomfortably in the chair across from him. He chuckled to himself. Akihito was practically naked. Only wearing the leather cuffs and collar Asami had put on him earlier in the morning over which Asami had allowed him to put his checkered apron while he finished cooking the meal.  
  
The leather was dyed a grey blue and in addition to the steel rings they supported each was adorned with tiny silver chiming bells. Asami had pared the set of leather with custom made cat ears and tail. The minute movements Aki made trying to sit normally with the tailed butt plug in him caused the bells to tinkle softly. To make matter worse the tail would swish depending on what pressure was applied to the plug. At the moment it was nearly whipping back and forth providing the bell chimes a rhythmic counter point whenever it hit the side of Aki's chair. Asami smiled to himself and went back to reading his paper.   
  
It took twice as long as normal for Akihito to finish eating. The entire experience had his upper torso and face flush. Though Aki was no longer certain it was because of the embarrassment. By the time he was halfway through he was completely hard and his erection strained against the blue leather that Asami had wrapped around his penis before inserting the plug earlier. He looked up at the man and noticed his plate was also clean. He needed to clean up the dishes and put on the laundry.   
  
Asami had told him as they left the bathroom from cleaning up that for the rest of the day he was to do whatever he normally did on his day off. The only condition was he couldn't wear anything Asami didn't put on him. He glanced out the penthouse windows and sighed before looking at Asami again asking, "I don't suppose I could ask you to help put the futons out to air?"  
  
The man looked up, his smirk lighting his eyes, "Where do you normally put them?"  
  
Aki glared at him, "over the railing on the balcony where the wash hangs." His face got redder and Akihito knew it was embarrassment this time. How am I going to finish the wash today if I can't go out on the balcony? He mentally cursed himself; he never should have listened to his near sister when he asked about what he could give Asami other than Chocolates for Valentine's Day.  
  
"What was that, kitten?" the paper rustled as Asami folded it and put it on the table.  
  
Aki looked up from the empty plate in front of him worrying did he say that last part out loud?   
  
"You were mumbling to your plate, still hungry?" He picked up his dishes and walked towards the kitchen, "you made more than enough and we did skip breakfast."  
  
Aki stood quickly, which was a mistake. The shift in his posture caused the butt plug to press against his prostate. Akihito's reflexive tightening of his anal walls then caused the attached tail to nearly curl in response. He grasped the back of the chair and gasped closing his eyes. Lights flashed behind his lids and for a brief moment sounds were muted as blood rushed to the most sensitive parts of his body. His breath became short and panting.  
  
A warm hand cupped his left butt cheek as another wrapped around the back of his neck. Asami pulled his trembling body into his large chest. The hand on his butt rose to his nape and stroked softly down his spine as the hand on his neck rubbed circles into the back of his skull. "Shush, don't fight it," was whispered into his hair.  
  
Akihito leaned into Asami. The shift removed the pressure on his prostate and after several heartbeats his breathing calmed though the deepened blush remained. He looked up at Asami's face to find the man's eyes filled with possessive lust.   
  
He chuckled, "I really like that tail, kitten." The hand stroking Aki's back grasped the base of the tail and squeezed as he rocked the butt plug. Sparks went off behind Akihito's eyes again and he moaned as he rubbed his restrained erection against Asami. The man chuckled again, "I am going to have to order another one of these."   
  
Aki's mind told him he was acting shamelessly and the tinkling of bells only made it worse, but his body didn't care. He needed relief and knew that only the man in front of him could provide it, "Asami, please."  
  
"Please what, kitten?" HE rocked the butt plug again, "You want something?"  
  
"Please I need…" Aki gasped as Asami rocked the plug hard against his prostate. His attempt to speak came out as a mewling wail instead.  
  
Asami released the tail and watched as the device whipped around and started thumping against Aki's thighs. He grinned as he stepped back gently pushing Aki from his chest and holding him as the younger man found his feet. He nearly laughed aloud at his boy's glare. Instead he patted one of man's butt cheeks saying, "You should probably start on those chores you said you had to do today." Then he walked to his office.  
  
Akihito hated Asami in that moment. He stood dumb founded as the older man walked away calmly from his blatant attempt to get the man to have sex with him. Anger crawled up his back. He reached to his neck and started to unbuckle the collar about his throat with angry thoughts of refusing to play the man's games running through his thoughts.   
  
As his hands reached the buckle sunlight bounced off the bracelet Asami had given him for Christmas. The gleam reminded him of when he opened it. They'd celebrated late. Asami had still been dealing with the fall out of Sudo's poor decisions during the actual holiday. So several days after they had moved into the new penthouse Asami had requested that Aki not take any jobs one day in mid-January. Easy enough to do since Asami had given him several days to rearrange the bookings he already had.   
  
Asami drove the two of them to Tatadohama where they practically had the beach to themselves since school had reconvened and temperature hovered near twelve degrees Celsius. Akihito remembers he still had at least one SD card to transfer pictures of the place onto his laptop. They stayed in a hotel one of Asami's business acquaintances owned. The room had been lit by a tall potted Fir tree hung with sparkling Christmas lights.  
  
Dinner and champagne were consumed and when Aki came out of the shower he'd found the long gold velvet box resting on one of the bed's pillows. It was wrapped with a wide red ribbon. Aki almost hadn't opened it. He was certain it was one of the lenses he'd lost when they'd been forced to flee the old penthouse. While the men had resisted blowing up the apartment since he and Asami had escaped they'd had no issue taking their anger out on the penthouse contents. Akihito considered his self lucky that the Nikon he'd received from his father had come out of the mess unscathed.  
  
He'd frowned at Asami who stood smoking while seemingly staring at the room's view of the beach. Aki remembers picking up the gift and approaching his lover. "I thought I told you I'd replace my cameras and lenses on my own?"  
  
Asmai had pulled Akihito into his arms and replied, "You did, but aren't I allowed to get you a Christmas gift?"  
  
Frowning Aki had replied, "I didn't think to get you anything." He gestured around the room, "and this is certainly more than enough."  
  
A warm hand grasped Aki's throat and Asami had run his thumb over the white scar that crossed it, "I doubt that."   
  
It was a dirty, emotional play on Asami's part. Akihito knew without looking up the anger and pain Asami's eyes would hold as he touched the spot. Aki sighed and pulled at the ribbon. It was silk and Aki found it had been carefully wrapped and bowed about the box to hide its impressive length. It was nearly as long as one of his legs. Once the ribbon was off the Velvet box could be opened with a simple press of the tiny clasp and nearly hidden hinges.  
  
The box had contained two items. One, the expected lens for his used Nikon DSL 7000, was safely nestled into the red velvet covered foam of the bottom of the box. It was of course the most expensive of the lenses Aki had needed to replace. It was the one for telescoped shots and had a set of changeable filters for nighttime shots.   
  
The top of the box had held the bracelet. Tabs held the titanium links flush against the red velvet there. The tiny key hung from a little gold ribbon attached to the link nearest the lock. Asami had reached into the box and removed the chain holding it carefully before saying, "People don't seem to understand who you belong to." Then he'd taken the Velvet box from Aki's hands and rested the bracelet in Aki's palm.  
  
Aki had turned the bracelet over in his hand reading each side of the small sliver plate the chain was attached to. He'd half expected it to read "Property of Asami Ryuichi". However carved into the plate was instead "Into the Abyss" on one side and their names in Kanji on the other followed by the kanji for eternity.  
  
Aki had spent several minutes rubbing his thumb across that side of the plate. Then he'd pressed the bracelet into Asami's hand and held out his left wrist. There had actually been two keys which Asami had kept one of. Aki had brought his back and tossed into the drawer of the desk in his workroom. It was the same place he kept other small objects he had no intention of using like the black credit card Asami had also given him since moving.  
  
The memory almost wiped the anger born of sexual frustration from Aki's mind; it did cause him to sigh deeply. His hands fell from his throat and he slowly turned to collect his dishes from the table.  
  
Akihito figured out that if he walked in a certain way the butt plug didn't jostle very much. As long as he didn't sit on it or walk to quickly the tail attached also didn't whip about. He chose to use the dryer for the day's laundry. He might prefer the smell the sheets and clothing had when dried in the sun but that wasn't enough incentive to venture onto the balcony naked. Asami was kind enough to put both bed's futon's out for him.   
  
However not everything was perfect, every time Akihito had to bend over, including when he put the cloths in the dryer, the plug in him brushed his insides. The bells were also distracting since nothing he did quieted the chiming. By the time the sun had started to set he was almost unable to walk.   
  
Asami, after taking out the futons, had left him alone the rest of the afternoon and Aki still partially miffed about being sexually teased throughout the day and then essentially ignored had refused to venture to the office door.   
  
Now that the sun was setting though, he needed Asami's help in getting the futon's back into the penthouse. He also needed to know what the man wanted made for dinner. With those two thoughts in mind he went to the end of the hallway. Asami's office was in a separate room in this apartment unlike it had been in the old one. He raised his hand and knocked.  
  



	3. Kittens and Their Tails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Finder Series (Viewfinder), is written by, illustrated by, and belongs to Yamane Ayano. I own none of her characters and make no money from this fan fiction.  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Includes the other half of my smutty counter point to Delmire’s “[Be My Kitty-Cat](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4556400)”. You don’t have to have read it in order to read this but I encourage you to do so. It is one of my Favorite one shots.   
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asami had spent the afternoon reviewing and signing paperwork for the greater Sion Corporation. There were several international investments he had to go over in their minutia. The most important was the joint venture he and a business partner were attempting in San Diego, California, United States. A theater which closed down in the fifties had been purchased and the US federal government, the state of California and the city of San Diego had only recently agreed to and granted the necessary permits for the two of them to repurpose the building as a staged night club.  
  
Asami was certain that had his US business partner not been known for his efforts revitalizing the areas he built in, they wouldn't have gotten past the city council. Now that they could start the two of them had to hash out exactly how their partnership would work. Luckily the contract he'd been given the day before matched to the detail the agreement the two had verbally decided. The review however had taken most of the afternoon and he was slightly surprised when he looked up from initialing and signing the document that the sun was on its way to setting.  
  
The surprise was that Akihito had not interrupted him sooner. His reaction to the tailed plug earlier had convinced Asami he'd have at least one lapful of lusty kitten at some point during the afternoon. He smiled as he remembered his lover's stubbornness however. He was certain that Aki had spent the afternoon doing his best to ignore his own body's signals. He was about to rise and see for himself just what state his kitten was in when there was a soft knock on the office door.  
  
Knowing it had to be Aki, Asami sat back down and called out, "Enter." He picked up the contract he'd just finished and pretended to be reading it as the door opened.  
  
Akihito paused before saying anything. The afternoon of fighting himself about coming to Asami and begging for release climaxed once he saw the man. At some point, Aki didn't know when, Asami had changed into dark gray slacks and a dark emerald polo. The fabric of the shirt hugged the man's chest and shoulders. Aki found himself swallowing the saliva that pooled in his mouth at the sight of the broad muscular chest.   
  
Damn the man really did make everything he wore look like sex and sin. The fleeting irritation he always felt at his response to Asami's attire was quickly swept aside when the man raised his eyes to meet Akihito's. His face wore his trade mark smirk and his eyes, after a quick glance into Aki's, swept across Akihito's exposed skin. He pushed the desk chair back and turned towards the door. Once he faced the door fully he gestured for Aki to come to him.  
  
Akihito had to remind himself that Asami was using one of the cards he'd given the man. Part of him wanted to turn and hide in his workroom. The look in Asami's eyes was darkly possessive again. He was no longer certain Asami remembered what time he had to be at work the next day. The rest of him however pushed his feet to cross the short space and stand between the man's legs. The tail started twitching again and cooler air in the office tightened his exposed nipples into hard nubs while raising goose bumps across his arms.  
  
Asami ran his hands down Aki's arms saying, "I had expected you to come to me much earlier than this."  
  
Akihito glared down at Asami, "Yeah well; I had things to do. If you wanted me, you should have come out of this near tomb you call an office."  
  
Asami smacked one of Aki's butt cheeks causing the globe to jiggle while leaving a hand shaped red mark and sending pain tinged pleasure straight to Akihito's already straining cock. "Don't insult my office. The low focused light and dark colors prevent migraines."  
  
"Hum, I just figured you couldn't work in real light, demons are supposed to be vulnerable to it after all." Aki crossed his arms preventing Asami from continuing to run his hands across his chest.   
  
Another smack sounded in the office this time on the untouched cheek, "Put your hands behind your back."  
  
Aki obeyed but his mulish look let Asami know just how irritated his kitten was at being left alone for so many hours. Understandable if the boy's straining cock was anything to judge by. Asami pulled a small steel D ring from his desk drawer and hooked the two wrist cuffs together. He pushed Aki into a kneeling position and used three more to hook the boy's wrists to his ankles and his ankles to each other.  
  
He used his feet to spread Akihito's knees wide. The movements had caused the boy to gasp several times and tail attached to his butt plug was thumping the floor behind him. Asami pulled the desk chair as close as possible to the kneeling boy before pulling Aki's face to his groin, "I think you need to use that mouth for something else, kitten."  
  
Aki shuddered as the plug moved against his prostate again. He looked up into Asami's eyes to determine how to get the fastest release possible. It was clear from the man's look that he intended to drag out this session. If Aki wanted the ache he'd been dealing with all afternoon taken care of, he'd need to do exactly what Asami wanted. Submissively Aki pressed his nose into crotch of the older man's pants rubbing it against the already hardening length of Asami's penis through the cloth, but Aki's masochist nature never did let his inner sub keep his mouth closed. "This would be a lot easier if you'd undo your pants, bastard."  
  
Asami chuckled and toed Akihito's straining cock before replying, "I believe that if you put your mind to it you can figure out how to do that yourself."  
  
The glare Aki sent up to the man only made him chuckle again. Akihito continued to rub his nose in Asami's crotch while thinking. He loved how the older man smelled; cigarettes, expensive alcohol, and musky body wash mixed with the man's skin to form a unique signature. The smell had him making small noises in the back of his throat, before he sighed to himself, "I love how you smell."  
  
He felt a hand run through his hair gently and in response he pressed his face further into the cloth. The hand tugged, pulling until Aki's scalp stung. It was only then that Akihito realized that Asami was calling him. He pulled back enough to look up. Asami smirked down at him, "I'm glad you like how I smell," he tugged harder on Aki's hair, "but, you are supposed to be sucking me off."  
  
Akihito felt the blush climb up from his chest and pressed his face back to Asami's crotch. He hadn't realized he'd said his thought aloud. He muttered, "Stupid baka," then grasped the man's zipper with his teeth. Asami adjusted in the seat to enable Aki to pull the zipper down. His erection strained against the buttoned opening of Asami's boxers. Aki paused before grinning at the older man. Then he set his teeth to gnawing on the threads that held the button in place.  
  
The button was metal and tasted awful against Aki's tongue. To make matters worse the thing tried to choke him when he finally pulled it free. While he was trying to prevent from swallowing it, Asami's erection sprang free and bounced off of Akihito's nose. Asami laughed as Aki pulled back and frowned in annoyance. His chuckle carried through the room, "Serves you right for pulling my button off. You know I expect you to fix that."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Aki groused up at him; he spit the button on the floor and grinned again. "I think there are some plastic ones left from the shirts of mine you tore." Asami tugged on his hair again and Aki moaned. However, he did look back at Asami's crotch and realize that while the man's penis was free his balls were still covered. He lean forward and licked his way up Asami's length as he thought.   
  
Asami liked to have his balls licked and sucked on. It was one of the things that pleased him almost as much as Aki taking the man's full length down his throat. Aki sucked the head into his mouth and pondered as his tongue licked at the slit and his lips sucked at Asami's precum. The bells tingled as he lapped annoying Aki. He stopped and tried to glare at his own throat before he went back to his contemplation.  
  
If he really wanted to get this over with, if he really wanted to get Asami to move on to the actual fucking, he was going to have to spend time with the man's balls. There was no way he was going to get to them without help though. He sighed not even caring that Asami could feel it against his member.   
  
"Something wrong Kitten?" Asami asked.  
  
Akihito looked up; he could tell from Asami's smirk that the man knew he was going to have to ask for help. Aki also knew the aid would not be given for free and he sighed again as he drew his mouth off of the man's member with a pop. He glared at Asami' crotch for several seconds and the tail thumped against the floor as he thought. He felt his hair being tugged on again. "Alright, alright," he turned his glare to Asami. "If you really want this you're going to have to help."  
  
Asami grinned, "What do I get if I do?"  
  
"A decent blowjob, idiot," Akihito huffed, "if you want a half assed one though?" He wrapped his lips around the engorged head again and suckled. A tug on his hair had him releasing his lips. He looked up again to see Asami glower down at him.  
  
"Tell me what you need help with and I will decide if I want it." Asami's lips smiled again, "as well as what it will cost you."  
  
Akihito frowned and then shook his head. He went back to wrap his lips around the man's penis but the hold on his hair stopped him. Asami growled, "Twelve hours of complete obedience Akihito or did you forget?"  
  
Aki shook his head and whispered, "No." He sighed again and then grew angry; stupid Asami was the one that put him to this task. He shouldn't need to tell the man what was needed just so he could do the job right. Asami knew what he liked and what he really wanted Akihito to do. Why did the man make it so hard? The tail attached to his plug thumped against the floor.  
  
"Well are you going to tell me what you need help with or should we stop here?" Asami reached for the cuffs at Aki's back. "I guess a full twelve hours is a really long time for you."  
  
That made Aki even angrier and he jerked his arms as much as being hogtied allowed while snapping, "No!" He stared into Asami's eyes daring him to reach for the cuffs again, "You said to suck you off and that is what I plan on doing."  
  
Asami smiled down at Akihito. He loved the boy's submissive nature. There were times he reviled in the moans, pants, and half words Aki produced when totally dominated. However, it was this spark of defiance that kept Asami coming back. It was the indomitable will and pride that prevented Akihito from ever backing down when met with a challenge that drove Asami to issue them over and over. Asami gripped his lover's hair again and tugged his face closer to his crotch, "Then tell me what you want help with. I have other plans for us this evening."  
  
Aki opened his mouth to retort but then paused; this wasn't going to get him what he wanted, which was the blasted leather ribbon about his cock removed and Asami inside him. He took a deep breath before replying, "I don't see a way to free your balls."  
  
Asami unbuttoned the pants and reached inside his trousers. After adjusting himself Akihito found the round objects resting near his chin. Aki muttered, "Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome. I'll think of something you can pay me back with later." He tugged Aki's mouth closer. "Now, I believe you were working on something?"  
  
Akihito leaned back into Asami's crotch and sniffed again. He pulled one of the balls into his mouth gently and lathed it with his tongue before trailing that tongue up the underside of Asami's erection right along the thickest vein. He repeated the action over and over. Alternating between balls and occasionally adding a quick lick to the slit at the top. The bells tinkled and the tail started thumping rhythmically.   
  
Once after reaching the top he dipped his tongue into the slit while wrapping his lips about the tip top of the head. Asami sucked in a breath at that and Aki chuckled as he kissed the vein gently all the way back down.   
  
Eventually Asami grew tired of the teasing and gripped Aki's hair so that he had to stop. The man pressed his dick to Aki's lips. Aki looked up. Asami's eyes were blown wide and his precum was flowing thickly. Asami kept pressing his member to Aki's mouth. I have him now; Akihito thought and pulled Asami's penis as far into his mouth as he could.   
  
It took several attempts; Aki's throat didn't stretch the same way as other portions of his anatomy. So it always took several tries to get Asami's full length down it without choking. However once he did his nose was pressed into the fine hairs at the base and Asami's smell was nearly over whelming. He moaned causing his throat to vibrate around Asami's cock.   
  
The hands on his hair tightened again; he looked up. Aki was unsurprised when Asami took over and started fucking his mouth. Twice, thrice, Akihito lost count of the times Asami slid his length down Aki's throat. Each time Aki reached Asami's pubic hairs he'd moan. The mouth fucking was surprisingly gentle. They usually were when Asami controlled them. Asami set a measured pace as he slid in followed by a long slow glide out; Aki moaned around his dick with every exit.   
  
Suddenly Asami sped up; several gentle but rapid thrusts that prevented Aki from even moaning were followed by Asami's cum. Akihito had long learned how to swallow and when there was no more pumping from Asami Aki curled his tongue about the man's shrinking member and licked it clean. He glanced up at Asami smiling.  
  
Asami nearly swore to himself. Aki knelt in front of him with a small blob of Asami's cum sitting on his cheek. It had escaped right at the end. It, combined with Aki's grin, really did remind Asami of a cat that just received a lucky bowl of cream. He let his hands slid out of Aki's hair and smiled, "You enjoyed that."  
  
Aki blushed again and dropped his gaze before muttering, "Maybe." He felt his face heat up again and then glared at the man. "My knees are starting to hurt."  
  
Asami smiled down at him knowing Akihito was blustering. The rug underneath the boy's knees was one of the thickest available even before the extra padding Asami had insisted upon before installation. Still the boy had been very good and Asami's penis was already lengthening again as he ran his eyes across the boy's bound form. He reached down and pulled Akihito into his lap. "I wouldn't want that to affect the rest of our night."  
  
The floor had not really been hurting him, but Akihito was honest with himself that he found Asami's lap much better. The office was much cooler than the rest of the penthouse and Akihito found himself suppressing a shiver as the heat from Asami's body warmed his cool skin.   
  
Asami arranged Akihito in his lap. The young man's knees to either side of his hips; his shackled hands and feet rested on Asami's thighs causing his bound erection to press into Asami's crotch.   
  
Asami felt the shiver Akihito tried suppress and rubbed his hands along the boy's back. "Cold?"  
  
"A little," Aki replied as he leaned into Asami's chest. His breath hitched when his bound cock brushed Asami's stomach. He moaned, "Asami… please."  
  
"Please what kitten?" Asami gripped Akihito's bottom and rubbed his returning erection against Aki's tightly bound one. "What do you want?"  
  
"Wa… want…" Aki could barely hold his thoughts together. The plug in his ass rocked with Asami's movements each press only just hitting his prostate. He clenched the object rhythmically causing the tail attached to thump against his behind and Asami's hands. He moaned and then held his breath before glaring up at Asami's eyes. "Fuck me, damn it."  
  
Akihito watched as Asami's eyes went wide. His pupils blew out until there was barely any gold staring down at him. The man stood carrying Aki still bound out of the office, down the short hallway and into their bedroom. He dumped Akihito face down on the bed. He reached into their bedside table and pulled out the lube, "You'd better prepare yourself kitten, or it is going to be a rough ride."   
  
He squeezed some lube onto Aki's fingers, "Open yourself up for me, Kitten."  
  
Aki shuddered as he tried to spread the lube across his fingers. His wrists being attached to his ankles prevented his arms from reaching as far as they normally could. The plug posed another problem. He was unable to work it out. However he knew that Ryuichi would enter him until Aki had fingered himself properly. He rubbed the rim around the butt plug pressing at the edges until he managed to work a finger into his hole with it but couldn't get a second.   
  
Asami poured lube on his other hand whispering huskily, "Use both hands."  
  
Aki worked his other index finger in side himself. He couldn't reach the spot he wanted and found he could only work a frustrated rhythm as each time he pushed his fingers in he knocked the plug against his sweet spot. The plug was slowly working its way out as Aki widened and stretched.   
  
Suddenly he felt the plug slammed back into him as his hands were ripped away. The tail was tossed over his arching back and Asami's length replaced his fingers. Akihito couldn't remember the last time he was stuffed so fully. The stretch burned along his spine and his dick hardened even more. Asami took the base of the tail and held it as he pounded Aki's anus.  
  
Asami's grin was feral. Akihito thrashed under him practically yanking at his bonds. He moaned and whimpered in equal amounts when his panting breaths let him. It had been weeks since he'd had Aki been this debauched and he fully intended to take advantage of it. Long past the point Aki had stopped being able to do more than pant Asami still reamed his boy's hole. When Aki gave a full body shudder though he reached down and tugged the leather his boy's dick was confined in.   
  
Aki was past babbling, even incoherently, he felt Asami reach around his waist. When his lover freed his bound penis Aki saw white and rose completely to his knees. The plug slipped out with his change of position and all Aki could feel was Asami's length inside him as it pulsed filling him with cum. His own orgasm spewed across the bed in thick white ribbons as he screamed, "Ryuichi!"  
  
Asami rode Aki through both their orgasms then lowered the boy to sticky sheets. He unhooked the D-rings massaging Aki's limbs as he unbent them. Aki opened one eye and smiled before whispering, "Good thing we keep extra futons for this huge thing."  
  
Asami laughed, "Well I got tired of having to hold off on our activities every Tuesday."  
  
Aki grinned but he couldn't hold his eyes open as he slurred out, "Still have to make dinner." He was asleep before Asami had him fully straighten out.  
  
Asami smiled down at him and then looked at the clock, it was only five fifteen. Technically he still had almost another two hours of his card left, however one of the things he'd promised himself after the whole Sudo affair was to be less rough with his lover. The boy still had occasional nightmares and while exhausting sex always led to a passed out Akihito, the boy didn't really rest.  
  
He pulled blankets over Akihito and fetched his daily phone from the office. He sent out for Sukiyaki, Yakitori, Tempura, and Seaweed Salad from one of his more traditional restaurants. He then pulled in the Futons Aki had asked him to put out just after lunch. He figured he help switch them out once Aki woke up.  
  



	4. Getting the Job Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Finder Series (Viewfinder), is written by, illustrated by, and belongs to Yamane Ayano. I own none of her characters and make no money from this fan fiction.  
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Akihito was barely holding his temper; Asami could tell because his boy was visibly grinding his teeth. Asami however persisted, even in the light of Aki's obvious displeasure, "You made a deal Akihito; I helped you out of your predicament yesterday afternoon in return for a future favor."  
  
Akihito was livid. He couldn't believe the man, one, still wanted a favor for helping Aki give him a decent blow job, and, two, that he wanted to use it to foist more guards onto him. Worse the man wouldn't tell him why he felt Aki needed more than one shadow. It wasn't like Aki had ever tried to lose Takeo. After all he'd promised.  
  
"Next time I'll just do a half assed job, then," he groused as he poured warm tea through a fine mesh strainer over the bowls of left over sashimi, rice, toasted nori, and wilted baby spinach. He grabbed a microplane and a dried shiitake mushroom as he continued, "giving you a decent blow job isn't worth three baby sitters."  
  
Asami poured the rest of the tea into a small pot and took it and their cups into the dining room. "You may not think so, but it is what I've decided I want." He set the stuff he carried down and turned to get the pickled vegetables that Aki had put out on small plates earlier only to see Akihito had put everything else on a tray and brought it to the table. Asami took the tray from Aki's hands and gestured with a nod to Aki's seat.  
  
It was a sign of how irritated over the extra guards Akihito was that he neither argued about Asami taking the tray, he usually claimed he was supposed to take care of as part of their agreement for him living with Asami, something Asami had never actually asked for, nor did Akihito ask any snide questions like did Asami even know how to serve food. Asami realized he was going to have to talk fast if he wanted Aki to work with the two new guards and not tell him why.  
  
He sat down across from his lover, glancing at the clock as he did so. It was only a few minutes to eight and all three of Akihito's guards were due to arrive with Kirishima at eight-fifteen. "Look, how about this. Work with the two new guards for a few days; if you can't stand them after that, I'll have Suoh rotate in new ones."  
  
"Wait, if I don't like them you'll let me go back to just Takeo?" Akihito leaned forward excitement on his face.  
  
Asami frowned, "Selective hearing will not aid you; I said I'd have Suoh replace them with others from the security division. If we go through all of those, I'll have him hire new people."  
  
Aki slumped back in his chair and glared, "I'm stuck aren't I." He sat up again at Asami's nod, "How long?"  
  
"I don't know what you're asking." Asami replied with raised eyebrows.  
  
"How long will I have to put up with three guards? Is this just a temporary thing while you deal with some threat or have you wanted me to have this many all along?" Akihito glared at Asami and shoved more ochazuke into his mouth. It was the only way he didn't spout more complaints before allowing Asami to answer.  
  
Asami ate several bites before drinking some of the warm tea. He picked up his chopsticks again glancing at Akihito. The boy was glaring as he ate. It was a wonder he hadn't started complaining again. Though, Asami knew that had Akihito done just that he wouldn't feel so compelled to answer the question. The boy was learning how to work around him far too well. He sighed finally, "I don't know. It's just rumors right now."  
  
"Huh," Akihito grunted as he gathered his empty dishes, "Fine, I'll let them follow me around for a couple of days. If they get in my way though, I'll slip all three of them, even Takeo." He stood with a glare and took his dishes into the kitchen.  
  
Asami sighed as he heard Aki rinse the dishes and start loading the dishwasher. He took the last few bites of his own breakfast and stood. Putting his dishes and the teapot back on the serving tray he carried it into the kitchen. Aki took the tray without looking at him then said, "I just wish you'd trust me to take care of myself. I did it perfectly fine before meeting you."  
  
"Your scoops, before meeting me, were of small time city politicians spending the tax payers' money on tacky gifts for their wives." Asami wiped the tray down and stored it back in the cabinet. "You weren't chasing maniacal stalkers, nor were you investigating corrupt foreign affair bureau members and their favorite club's manager."  
  
"I got away from Kirishima and Suoh just fine." Akihito huffed and closed the dishwasher door hard. He jabbed the buttons to start it, "You like to forget that when it suits you."  
  
Asami sighed and pulled a resistant Aki into his arms, turning him to face his chest before wrapping his arms about Aki's waist, "I have never forgotten that. You jumped off a building; in retrospect you were damn lucky that sign was there."  
  
"No luck. I knew it was there before I ran up the stairs. I'd scoped that building out before that." He leaned against Asami's chest before asking, "When do these two new goons start?"  
  
Asami glanced at the clock on the stove, "Um, about five minutes." Both of them heard the nearly silent rap on the door Kirishima always gave before he entered. Asami grinned, "Or today Kei could be early."  
  
He grunted when Akihito punched his stomach saying, "I'm not dressed."  
  
Asami looked his lover over the tight briefs and tank top did nothing to hide his delectable skin. "I'll pull them into the coat closet while I put on my tie and shoes. Cut through the hallway from the dining room."  
  
Aki hissed, "You'd better pull them all the way in, there is nothing but open living area between the exit from the dining room and the hallway." He released Asami and stepped towards the dining table. "I'm glad we didn't pick the totally open concept place we'd looked at."  
  
Asami laughed, "Yes, well there were too many windows to replace." He walked through the door way that led to the other side of the sunken living area. He could hear Kei speaking to someone, probably the three guards as he approached the genkan.  
  
He could hear the man reminding them of how to enter the apartment when Asami was home. He came around the corner and all four men bowed. He nodded and gestured into the coat closet. "Let's talk for a moment." If any of them had questions on why they were going to speak in the coat closet instead of the living area they choose not to voice them. Kirishima proceeded in first; Takeo and the two new guards followed. Asami glanced across the living area to see his lover streak past into the hallway.  
  
Kirishima and Takeo held whatever thoughts their boss' smiling face caused behind their impressive masks. The faces of two new guards however held shock and confusion. Their reactions caused Asami's smile to widen. He reached for his watch and slipped it on, "I will only say this once. Akihito can be particularly prickly when it comes to guards. Don't irritate him. He will slip you faster than I can close deals." He looked both of the new men over before looking directly at Takeo, "You chose them; I will hold you responsible if he chooses to run off."  
  
"Yes, Asami-sama," Takeo bowed. "I speak for all of us when I say we'll handle Takaba-sama with the upmost care."  
  
Asami pulled his shoes on as Kirishima took down his coat and scarf. He exited the closet first and found Akihito coming around the corner of the hallway dressed in light blue jeans, a blue grey long sleeved tee, matching socks and a black tactical vest Asami knew was stuffed with his wallet, keys, extra memory cards, and snacks. His black camera bag was slung across his chest.  
  
Asami's suit coat was draped over the back of the couch and Akihito after glancing at Asami's shoes picked it up, brought it to him, and held it open. Asami slipped into it pausing as Aki ran his hands over his shoulders and back.  
  
When he turned around Akihito was blushing and had found something on the floor intensely interesting. Asami just nodded at the two new men in the genkan, "I'll leave Takeo to introduce everyone." He reached out and pulled Akihito's chin until the young man was looking at him. "Don't forget your promise."  
  
Akihito shook his head, "Yeah, yeah." Then he glared, "Two days though. I've got places to be and things to do and three babysitters will just get in the way."  
  
Asami frowned and leaned in to whisper into Akihito's ear, "Don't make me tie you to the bed in the secret room. Be. Good."  
  
Akihito pushed him away, "Uhg, go to work, old man."  
  
Asami chuckled as Kirishima helped him on with his coat. He slipped on his gloves saying, "I'll be late tonight."  
  
Aki frowned, "I may be too. Chief called while I was getting dressed. I don't know what the assignment is yet." He followed Asami to the door, "I'll text you once I know more."  
  
Asami didn't say anything further until the elevator doors had closed behind Kirishima and him, "The report on the Tabakas?"  
  
Kei tapped open a file on his iPad and read, "Takaba Ryo born 'Itoh Ryo' approximately sixty-seven years ago. He was recruited by the colonel at twenty-four after Takaba captured the colonel and his men taking out a flesh dealer in Nagoyakō. Takaba apparently approached them after discerning out they were not buyers. He was born in Tsu, Mie to a salary earning member of the customs bureau and a stay at home mother both deceased before recruitment. They were apparently lost to a traffic accident." He glanced at Asami to check in there were any questions yet.  
  
Seeing none in the man's face he swiped his finger across his device and continued, "Takaba Namiko, born Michaels in Torrance, California sixty-one years ago. Never an official part of the organization though it appears she did teach piano while we were stationed in Germany."  
  
Asami grunted at that, "Wonder if she's the one that advised I stop trying to learn it?"  
  
Kei choose not to respond, he and Suoh still occasionally thanked the woman that had talked Ryuichi out of trying to learn the piano. While the man had great appreciation for piano music he had absolutely no talent. Instead he continued his short report as if Asami had said nothing at all, "The Takabas married in Germany thirty –three years ago. Eight years later, when the colonel split the organization Takaba Ryo retired from photo journalism and started taking photographs for local Nature magazines."  
  
"Just before leaving his paper though he published that article about Masaoka Kisho; you should remember it. It was the one that ousted Masaoka for embezzling train maintenance funds with the local Yuzaka in Tsu and taking bribes while reviewing contracts."  
  
Asami frowned, "You mean the one the colonel told us to ensure we corralled when we first took over, the one that had started outsourcing his influence with human traffickers?"  
  
Kei nodded, "Yes, that one."  
  
"Huh, I always meant to track that journalist down to thank him." Asami shook his head and smiled, "Think of all the years wasted without Akihito."  
  
Kei looked down at his tablet and frowned, "He would have been eight, Ryuichi." He looked up, "According to the medical profile run on him and the three others we found with them."  
  
"Yes, yes. In retrospect it is a good thing I met him later. Please continue." Asami waved a hand at Kirishima as they left the lift and entered the underground parking garage.  
  
The review of information paused as Asami climbed into the back of the limo and Kirishima settled into the front. After the doors were closed and Suoh eased the limo into traffic Kei lowered the divider and continued as if there had been no interruption. "Takaba Akhito was 'adopted' by the couple nearly a year after we rescued him and the others. Like us, his name and everything about his life before that is wholly the imagination of the organization's relocation staff. I've included that with the full report. I also took the liberty of pulling any known information about the family since they moved to Yokohama seventeen years ago."  
  
"I also included the medical assessment and Zafrir's psychological assessment from seventeen years ago as well." Kirishima paused before continuing, "I believe you should read them in full."  
  
Asami heard the hesitation in Kirishima's voice, "Spit it out Kei. What is in them you don't want to say out loud?"  
  
"They hold the reason Takaba hates doctors and hospitals. He had several surgical scars, having already had his appendix, his tonsils, and part of his liver removed. There was also evidence of surgical removal of bone marrow. The report believes that the scars on the base of his spin were from the removal of spinal fluids." Kei paused a second time and took a deep breath, "The most important thing I gleaned from Zafrir's report was Takaba's original name."  
  
Asami leaned forward when Kirishima stopped again both eager and reluctant to know his kitten's real name. Kirishima was not usually hesitant about revealing information from his research even when about Akihito. Asami finally sighed, "Well what was it?"  
  
Kei took a deep breath before replying, "it appears the only thing he responded to when he was first found was 'oshibka'."  
  
Even Kazumi physically reacted to that, taking a swift breath and holding it before letting it out on a long sigh. Kei just closed the notes he'd made on the reports and turned to look out the window. Both were contemplating how anyone could call a child the word so often the child believed it was their name, while simultaneously wondering at resiliency of the cheery and confident young man they'd come to care for as much as they cared for Ryuichi. He was the cheeky little brother neither of them had gotten as children. His bright eyes and fierce determination reminded the two of them just why they'd joined the organization as young teens.  
  
Asami settled back into the limo's leather seats thinking. At least he no longer had to wonder at Akihito's occasional bouts of self-recrimination and lack of confidence. He'd spent most of his early childhood being told he was a mistake.  
  
Akihito watched as Kirishima closed the penthouse door. He then turned and faced Takeo and his two new body guards. Like Takeo the new guys were younger than Asami's other guards neither could be in their thirties yet and both were slim with runner's and swimmer's muscles instead of those built by strict weight lifting or body building.  
  
Also like Takeo the two men were dressed in regular street clothes. Dark nearly black somewhat loose jeans, black tennis shoes, and dark grey long sleeved t-shirts under loose navy zip up hoodies bearing Sion's company logo, the silhouette of a prowling black leopard. None of them looked like they worked for one of the most powerful men in Tokyo much less members of any sort of underground organization.  
  
Akihito would have preferred they'd not worn Sion's logo but at least it didn't have actually have Asami's corporation's name on it. Only someone intimately familiar with the corporation or Asami personally would know who they worked for. He grinned at them and bowed, "I am Takaba Akihito. You can call me Akihito."  
  
Takeo, the tallest of the shook his head, "Takaba-sama, please, you know we can't do that." He turned and pointed to the dark brown haired and nearly black eyed male on his right, "This is Kano. He'll be primarily in charge of the driving, when we're out in one of Asami-sama's vehicles. He has tactical driving training."  
  
The man, taller than Akihito by a couple of inches, bowed low, "It is a pleasure to meet you Takaba-sama."  
  
Takeo ignored the look of irritation that crossed Aki's face at the honorific and pointed to the gentleman on his left. "This is Toshiro. He won the International Parkour Competition in British Columbia a couple of years ago and before that was in the United States marines."  
  
Akihito looked at Toshiro with a little awe. He personally was just an enthusiast of the sport. He really only kept it up because it provided him with the ability to successfully escape most of the Japanese underworld thugs. Even after being with Asami for nearly two years most of Asami's enemies were shocked whenever Aki took to the side of building to flee. The raven haired chocolate eyed man also bowed, but before he could say anything Akihito laughed and glanced at Takeo, "Trying to make it hard for me to lose all three of you are you?"  
  
Takeo smiled, "Kano and I are also both well versed in Parkour, Takaba-sama. All three of us have motorcycle licenses as well."  
  
Aki's smile widen, "You know that only makes me want to try and escape you more, right."  
  
Kano and Toshiro looked shocked and worriedly glanced between their team leader and their charge. They's only worked for Sion for a little over seven months both having been recruited after their previous postings had completed.  
  
Kano had worked for a private international security company out of Amsterdam. His previous assignments had typically included dignitaries, their wives, and children. He'd worked out of country for most of his career, but with his parent's death he'd desired to return to the country of his birth. His knowledge of Parkour, what Suoh-sama said tipped the interview in his favor, had until his employment with Sion been that of an enthusiast. He was quickly brought up to competition level by Takeo, a local Winner of several awards and Toshiro though. Apparently, the young man they were to be protecting practiced the sport.  
  
Toshiro had lost his living relative just before joining Sion as well. His most recent tour with the US military had coincided with his obasan's death and he'd also determined to return to the country of his mother's and father's birth. His aunt had left him the small family home on the outskirts of Sayama, Saitama as well as a not unsubstantial amount of yen. His visions of living out an early retirement from the US Marine Corps and competing professionally in Parkour were swiftly swept aside by boredom. When an old commander from the Corps called and suggested he interview with Sion Toshiro had jumped at the chance. He'd spent the last seven months training Kono in Parkour while learning how to protect a single individual and assess risk to said person's safety from him.  
  
Now both of them were looking at their charge in slight shock. First, neither had believed the rumors in Sion that Asami-sama's lover was male. Not that they really cared it was merely surprising given the continued almost hostile reaction most Japanese gave homosexuals. Though both were certain no one in their right mind would challenge any relationship Asami-sama had. Second, they had not quite believed the other members of Sion's security force that Takaba-sama had, until recently, completely disregarded and often actively lost the security personnel placed about him.  
  
Both had been to the torture and execution of a relatively minor drug pusher that had encroached on the local Yuzaka's turfs. The encroachment was across lines Asami had helped establish to ensure a massive reduction of inter turf warfare. The man they watched had decided to split from his Yuzaka clan, however he'd started pushing crap on the streets of several clans first and Asami was granted the task of issuing punishment to ensure everyone knew who not to cross.  
  
First the man had lost both pinkies and his left ring finger. They were iced and sent to the respective heads of three of the four Yuzaka clans whose territories he'd squatted on. Then he lost both hands which were sent to his own former boss. The man had been forced to watch each removal. However what had almost turned both their stomachs was watching as Suoh took a large knife and slit the man's gullet open enough that his entrails spilled out onto the concrete floor of the warehouse. He'd been forced to watch that also.  
  
Asami had sat in a sheet covered wooden chair drinking conac and smoking a Dunhill as the man bled out. When dead Asami had risen and instructed Suoh to have the new recruits help with the cleanup. Kono and Toshiro had asked if the execution was normal as they had helped to cut up the body and mix it with several tons of chum that had been prepared for Shark fisherman on the morrow.  
  
They both still shuddered when they remembered Suoh-san's answer, "This was nothing. Pray you never have to sit in on one where the culprit attempted to harm Akihito-kun or worse someone that did." Suoh had looked right into their eyes after that statement, "The last person to harm Asami's lover was given nearly four hundred tiny cuts across his entire body. Just deep enough to continually seep blood but none near major arteries or veins. There was an alcohol stream set to pour continuously over his head. Then the boss set up several blood transfusions for him; it took four days for him to bleed out."  
  
The head of security had then given both of them a long lecture on how important Takaba Akihito was to their boss. Takeo had reiterated that lecture earlier that very morning. They were to stay safe and look out for each other but Takaba Akihito always came first.  
  
Now looking at the young man both were silent as he sat on the floor of the genkan and tied up what was possibly the rattiest pair of tennis shoes either of them had ever seen. Just how did Takeo not freak out while the boy explained how he wasn't too keen on three baby sitters and that if any of them were so much as glanced at while he was talking to his editor the young man would be over a building before they could blink.  
  
"I totally understand Tabaka-sama. I promise your coworkers and boss will not even note our presence." Takeo reached out and helped Akihito to his feet. "Our job is to protect you from outside threats not get in the way of your life."  
  
"Humph, I don't doubt you'd do just that if you thought it was necessary." Akihito groused and grabbed down the custom altered, blue leather, Dolce & Gabbana jacket with cream fur trim around the hood Asami had given him for Valentine's Day. The jacket he had refused to wear once he learned what it cost, at least until Asami had removed all his older thread bare, some even hole filled, jackets from the closet.  
  
He wrapped a cream and blue scarf about his neck and headed out the penthouse door. He paused as they joined him in the hallway and looked all three of them over, "I can't believe I'm putting up with this." He turned and entered the elevator punching the key code to ensure no others joined them on the ride down.  
  
In the garage he pulled out a pair of leather gloved that matched the jacket and slipped them on as he approached his Vespa's parking spot. He stopped and looked at the spot. Then he turned on the three men following him and shouted, "What the fuck is this?"  
  
Takeo held out a set of keys and replied, "I have been informed that this is your White Day present, Takaba-sama." Akihito yanked his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it with angry fingers. "Takaba-sama, I am aware you dislike gifts of this nature but don't you have to make a photo shoot on the far side of Chiba by ten o'clock? It will take most of the next hour to get there with traffic." He offered the keys to Akihito again and gestured to his partners that they go ahead and mount their bikes.  
  
Aki looked up and growled, "Damn it all." He yanked the keys out of Takeo's fingers snarling, "Don't think I'm going to let your bastard of a boss get away with this." He then turned and climbed onto the custom painted BMW K 1600 GTL. He would have sat and enjoyed the sound of the engine, however his ire at Asami foisting yet another expensive gift onto him had him far too angry to enjoy the smooth purr of the motor.  
  
Nor did he gain any enjoyment from the bike's sleek lines or custom colors as he pulled into Tokyo Shinjuku traffic. The cool blues and greys of the bike and matching helmet may have contrasted nicely with Asami's prowling panther etched into both sides of the fuel tank but all the image did was irritate Akihito. He spent the drive to his shook angry and muttering about bastard Yuzaka and their possessiveness. He didn't calm down until he pulled into a motorbike slot at the advertising agency's shoot lot. As he took off his helmet the sun light bounced off his braclet.  
  
Akihito sighed as he put the helmet into the rear storage compartment. His body guards had pulled inot the lot with him but each had parked several slots away. Kono removed his helmet and immediately entered the building. Takeo and Toshiro stood on the side of Takeo's bike closest to Aki and held what appeared to be an animated but quiet and amicable conversation. That they seemed to finish it about the time Aki started towards the building was something that only Akihito noticed.  
  
Aki glanced down at the bracelet again. He didn't think Asami knew that Aki knew about the gps tracker that was in it. In truth when he'd first discovered it he'd almost taken the jewelry off. However even he was willing to admit that the thought of Asami beign able to find him even if he lost his phone was reassuring. He still didn't know how Asami had gotten to the warehouse the night Kuroda and Suduo had been shot however it had been lucky he was there. The subsequent near misses they'd had until the whole affair had been taken care of were too numerous to count.  
  
So the bracelet stayed on and it continually served as a reminder to Akihito that Asami felt more than just lust for him. The titanium links locked about his wrist with a key were as close to a love confession as Aki figured he'd ever get.  
  
He shook his head clear of thoughts about his and Asami's relationship and shouldered open the glass door to the building's interior. The foyer was full of modeling hopefuls. They ranged from mere babes still in their mother's arms to older adults possibly looking for a career change or at least something to spend time on in their retirement. Shōzō-ga, the agency Aki was shooting for today however made it's money by finding new and rare talent among all walks of life.  
  
Aki often did the portrait shots of the models the agency was famous for supplying to poetential customers with. They liked how Aki spent time with each model and brought out what the agency called the person's natural personality. Akihito just didn't like taking what were essentially omiai photos and tried to get the models to not be so stiff.  
  
He glanced over the crowd in the waiting area and spotted a couple he'd probably be called back for in the coming days. Specifically there was a young teenage girl with midnight curls winding down her back. She glanced up from the papers she was holding and smiled at Akihito as he crossed the marble floored room. Her eyes were a curious mixture of green and gold and she was soft around the face. She was willowy, thin in the arms and legs though curved in all the correct spots. She was most likely of mixed decent.  
  
Having worked with clothing models and fashion industry for several years Akihito could tell she would be a top pick. He turned and rushed to catch the closing elevator doors as someone yelled out "Nomura Hotaru, Number 345, Nomura Hotaru."  
  
Aki nearly stumbled as he whipped his head around. The young teenager he'd noticed stood and nervously crossed to an open door in the wall to the left of the elevators. She held out her sheaf of papers to the man standing there and then nodded at whatever it was he said. Aki watched as the girl that shared his childhood friend's name entered the exam room. Aki turned back to the elevators and cursed under his breath he'd missed the one going up.  
  
It took nearly seven minutes for the elevator to return. Luckily Takeo had ensured he'd gotten to the location in plenty of time. He took the elevator to the ninth floor and traversed the labyrinth hallways until he reached the studio. He sighed as soon as he entered and heard the shoot's director pleading with Emi.  
  
Akihito knew the only reason he'd been asked to come to this shoot was because Emi was the model. So far he was the only photographer that hadn't refused to work with her. He was also painfully aware that the only reason the girl still had a job was because her father was Shōzō-ga's chief financial officer. Giving another big sigh Aki went about setting up his equipment. Shōzō-ga always provided him with an assistant to change out his lenses and memory cards as he switched between cameras during a shoot.  
  
In the past two months, since Takeo had starting guarding him, that assistant always seemed to be the guard himself. Akihito had been pleasantly surprised with how much about camera equipment Takeo knew. Though, the guard's confession that he'd learned it at Suoh's suggestion was met with deep disappointed sighs. Still, the man had learned the equipment well and Aki rarely had to ask him to change the lens he picked while in the middle of a set.  
  
Today, however, was one of the rare times Takeo was not his assistant. Emi's agent always insisted that his son, a budding photographer himself, was the assistant on any of Emi's shots. Since the young man knew what he was doing and was willing to learn more, while still being helpful this didn't bother Akihito in the least. They gave each other exasperated smiles as they sat around waiting on Emi to don the white Yūrei costume.  
  
The shoot was advertising shots for ACOS Akihabara. The cosplay shop was always adding to its line and regularly requested new photos of their latest items. There had been an upsurge in the desire for scary and supernatural outfits since the announcement of a new Tokyo Ghoul season by Pierrot just after Valentine's Day. The Yūrei costume must be one of ACOS' responses.  
  
It took almost forty-five minutes for Emi to agree to be dressed as a Yūrei much to Aki's dismay. Though, he already knew from the director that the shoot had been scheduled for three hours longer than normal just to work around Emi's stubbornness, he was still annoyed at the delay. The shoot was proceeding at a clipped pace after the initial rocky start and Aki moved about the set rapidly. After the first couple of shots of Emi several other models, that had been ready for over an hour, joined her and Akihito took shots of each of them individually as well as in matched and unmatched pairings.  
  
Finally an hour and half later they had reached the final set of shots. All of these would be of the entire group for ACOS to use as the cover of their sales flyer. Everyone was gathering to stand against the backdrop of creepy broken buildings they'd been shooting against when Emi screamed. Everyone on set rushed to see what had happened. Emi stood next to her canvas director chair and sobbed. Apparently one of the temporary nails she'd been wearing as part of the costume had ripped off.  
  
Akihito glanced at the girl's finger and sighed. The fake nail hung off at an odd angle but the real nail underneath was fine having no tears and retaining a healthy pink shine. Emi, however, was sobbing and holding her own hand gingerly like it was her fingers that were broken and not just a fake nail. She admittedly refused to continue and demanded to be taken home.  
  
The set director spent nearly twenty minutes trying to convince her to stay and finish the shoot, but the spoiled child refused and started removing the costume without help. As Emi stormed off the set the director was on the phone with the advertising director of ACOS almost begging for the final shot to exclude the female Yūrei. He had no luck and left the phone call with threats of lawsuit ringing in his ears.  
  
The director was busy trying to look through the head shots of females that would closely match Emi in facial shape and hair color. Worse case they could put contacts in for the eyes. Aki overheard the director muttering and instantly the girl from down stairs came to mind.  
  
He wondered over to the man and looked over his shoulder. The lap top screen was covered in images of models with the same general attributes as Emi. The bulk of them however were already showing as booked or not available for other reasons. He cleared his throat, "Does it have to be someone established?"  
  
The director looked over his shoulder in question and Akihito continued, "I'm just saying it would really ruffle the CFO's feathers if we put in an established model to replace Emi." He gestured to the remaining options with, "You'd have to give them equal billing on the photos, a newbie would be put down with the rest of us as cast and assistants."  
  
The director nodded, "I'm aware, however none of the newest models match Emi in height or coloring. The makeup will hide some of it but they still need to be really close."  
  
"How about Nomura Hotaru, she was hired this morning." Akihito actually wasn't positive the young girl had been hired. However, the people vetting for Shōzō-ga would have been insane not to. He crossed his fingers she was now on their payroll.  
  
The director picked up his cell phone and called the downstairs office. All new recruits were entered with bare minimum information until the company could assign them to managers. The man asked if a Nomura Hotaru had been hired that morning. Upon getting confirmation he insisted that the girl be found and brought upstairs for the shoot arguing over Human Resources issue with her lack of a manager.  
  
Aki butted in on that note, "How about asking, Ueda Yumi-san, she's always open for more talent." He pulled his phone out saying, "I could call her now?"  
  
Ueda Yumi was famous for scouting and placing Momohara Ai with the company. He and the woman had gotten to know each other well when he was covering Ai's stalker. The woman had given him her number in an effort to scout him as a model.  
  
The director nodded and spoke into the phone that a manager had been found and to just send the girl their way. Aki dialed the phone and nearly laughed when Yumi-san answered it with, "so you've decided to get on the business side of the camera Takaba-san?"  
  
"No, Ueda-san, however we're having issues with a shoot after Emi walked off the set. There is a new girl who self scouted today but we need a manager assigned to her before we can use her in the finial shoots."  
  
"Hum," she replied. Aki could almost hear the woman's thoughts before she questioned, "How many shots would the new girl replace Emi in?"  
  
"Only the finial ones of which only one will make print." Aki shrugged though Ueda could not see him, "I figured a newbie with no established set could be more easily used than someone that would want billing."  
  
Ueda laughed, "You know this business far too well. So tell me why should I take her on? You know I get to choose my models."  
  
Akihito grinned, "Come by and see. I've got a gut feeling about this one and anybody has to be better than Emi."  
  
Ueda laughed again, "Fine, but if she washes out I expect you to give at least on shoot a chance. I'm positive you'd like it on the visible side of the viewfinder."  
  
"Deal. We're having her sent up for make up now." He glanced at the director who gave him two thumbs up. "She is posing in about an hour."  
  
"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Ueda hung up without waiting for a reply.  
  
Twenty minutes later found the older woman standing with Aki as the young teen named Nomura Hotaru was in makeup. She was the same build as Emi though slightly more curvy. That would not be noticeable in the costume. Her eyes unique color was easily hidden by brown contacts and her longer hair was first tied up then tucked to mimic the style worn in earlier shots. When the group reconvened in front of the building set pieces Aki walked to the girl in the center and brushed all her hair to her back before having the male Yūrei lean over her back.  
  
The shots were not exactly as the director had originally planned. Emi was to have been one of the framing characters with the western witches centered; however, to ensure they hid Hotaru-san's curves they needed her sitting in all the photos. Hotaru was exceptional. The other models were glad to have Emi off the set. Hotaru was eager to help making costume movements and makeup touchups smoother and faster. Her willingness to listen to suggestions by the more experienced models immediately put her in their good graces.  
  
The shoot was wrapped up with a final shot. Hotaru had asked at the last break to see earlier shots with Emi in them. Then she had spent several minutes trying to mimic emi's facial expressions. She also started slouching which when viewed alone looked terrible, but when set next to the others all standing only made her appear closer to Emi's height and hid even more of her curves. The final shot ended up mimicking the director's initial desires. The European witches, male and female, were seated on two pieces of broken concrete. Around them stood the Yūrei, several Oni of various sizes, a couple of Kappa, and numerous ghouls.  
  
Akihito glanced at Ueda and raised an eyebrow; the woman just shook her head and crossed the room to greet her newest model. Aki grinned as he helped the assistant pack up his gear wasting no time with chatter as he was already running behind; his editor was waiting.  
  
He waved to everyone after promising the director to have the cut shots to him by end of the next day. He watched for his guards; glad that they had remained out of site during the shoot. He descended the floors by the stairs and glided out of the glass doors to the parking area. Kono and Toshira were already at their bikes. Takeo gave Aki a short nod as he jogged past him and starting putting on his helmet. Aki sighed again as he pulled out his own helmet and mounted the new BMW motorbike. They were pulling into Chiba traffic only twenty minutes late.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ACOS Akihabara is currently Tokyo Girlz Update's top rated cosplay shop at the time of this posting.
> 
> Aki's leather jacket - [ Here ](http://www.villasamakibali.com/dolce-gabbana-leather-hooded-jacket-blue-men-discountable-price-p-1490.html) \- I switched the blue and white elastic edges for cream fur otherwise it is this jacket.
> 
> Aki's bike - BMW K 1600 GTL - [ Here ](https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/tour/k1600gtl.html) \- san's customer paint job.


	5. The Past is Closer Than You Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Finder Series (Viewfinder), is written by, illustrated by, and belongs to Yamane Ayano. I own none of her characters and make no money from this fan fiction.

Kitten: No Dinner tonight, Bribes to be photographed.  
  
Bastard: Where?  
  
Kitten: Recycling Center in 1 Chrome off of Kannana Dori in the Katsushika Ward. Fucking cold out here.  
  
Bastard: Don't lose your guards.  
  
Kitten: Right.... like Takeo would let me. Did you gps tag my ass or something? I can't ever escape him.  
  
Bastard: That is an excellent idea. I could insert it myself.  
  
Kitten: Back off you perv! I don't want that shit actually in me, probably causes cancer.  
  
Asami laughed. It drew attention to the fact that he'd been texting on his phone instead of listening to the story one of the other CEO in the dinner party was regaling the table with. The man paused in his recount of surprising some company board with his hostile takeover and looked at Asami with a frown. "Everything ok, Asami-sama?"  
  
Asami calmly pushed his phone back into his pocket, "Of course, I was merely remembering the next part of your story and laughed too soon."  
  
The man smiled then, "Please don't give away the ending."  
  
Asami nodded and the man continued. As soon as the table had turned its eyes back to the speaker, he pulled out his phone again and sent off instructions for his boy's guards to ensure that once Akihito was done with his photos they were to make sure the boy got hot food in him. Even if doing so meant they had to force him to visit one of Asami's restaurants or clubs.  
  
Since learning about Akihito's past he'd researched the needs of people living with only one Kidney and part of a liver. He'd been surprised to learn that livers repair themselves, growing back any part missing usually only after twenty days or so. However having only one Kidney posed potential issues Asami never thought he'd have to worry about with his kitten. For one think should it get damaged there could be life threatening results as there wasn't a second one to help out.  
  
The boy didn't need a special diet but he did need to eat more vegetables. He also needed to be more wary of how much alcohol he consumed.  
  
Asami sighed as the story the other man was telling wound to its conclusion and the rest of the table laughed. It was actually a pretty good story but the old CEO had been telling it for years and frankly Asami had grown tired of the dinner party. He glanced at Kirishima, who recognizing the look immediately picked up his own phone and started softly speaking into it as he approached the table before bending over Asami and whispering just loud enough for the man's nearest table mates to hear, "Your American partner wishes to hold a video conference as soon as possible sir. The city planners have questions about some of the reconstruction the two of you plan on doing and he'd like to ensure you are on board with his explanations."  
  
Asami nodded and signaled to a waiter as he addressed the table, "Do pardon me gentlemen. I have some business I need to address with an American partner and you know how they can get when they want to speak with someone." He rose turning to the waiter, "Put the table on my account." With the waiter's bow he walked away from the group, out the door and into his waiting limo.  
  
He lowered the divider once they'd pulled into traffic, "George will find it funny we accused him of needing my help with city officials."  
  
Kirishima shrugged, "Well you do have the architecture diagrams to review and approve, as well as the construction contract to review and sign and it does contain provisions around changes." He glanced down at his tablet, "Since dinner bored you and Takaba-kun will not be in until very late tonight I figured you could spend time between now and the inspection of the shipment from Korea getting those two things done."  
  
Asami grunted, "At least neither of them will bore me." He glanced out of the window, "remind me what the shipment is."  
  
Kirishima glanced at his table and pressed several buttons before replying, "3-d printing equipment and parts with epoxy resins and plastics to actually print things." He glanced down again before continuing, "They are bound for Columbia in Central America. It is part of the payoff for the import governor there."  
  
Asami grunted, Miguel had been taken out in the cross fire between two rebel factions in Costa Rica nearly seven years ago. It had hit both him and Adan hard and strangely had both brought the two remaining org members closer together and pushed them farther apart. He and Adan had been busy securing their own positions in the underworlds of their respective areas and he'd just finished a nearly disastrous attempt to expand shipping routes through Bashé territory.  
  
Neither had made it to the funeral; worse Miguel's second had proven to be less than stellar at keeping the man's territories together. It was not even four months after his death that both Adan and Asami had been approached by the CIA for missions that Miguel usually handled. Neither of them had wanted to take the work, however the opportunity to shut down a flesh trade route had tipped the scales and both took the job.  
  
It had been nice to work with Adan again and the two of them had parted amicably promising to join forces again soon. However work on both their organizations had taken time and effort which left little in the way of free time to work together. Asami took a drag from his Dunhill, perhaps now that both of us are more secure we should look at working together to take back the pieces of Miguel's org? He filed the idea away; Adan would be in Tokyo at the end of May; he'd bring up the idea then.  
  
He and Kirishima exited the limo as soon as Suoh pulled into his private parking spot. The two of them rode the elevator straight up to the top floor. There he settled behind his desk and started reviewing construction diagrams.  
  
Akihito shivered again. It was already White Day, yet it was below freezing though it was in the middle of March. He crouched behind a large steel back work table inside the sorting work house of the recycling center. The building apparently had no heating and the large work tables were made entirely of metal making them hold the cold air. He shifted slightly carefully tightening his individual muscles and relaxing them in three and six second intervals. His target was late.  
  
The Diet member wasn't a little bit late either but a lot late. His editor had related the tip off as saying the meet up would take place just before midnight. It was now nearly two in the morning. If it wasn't for who the Diet member was and who he was supposed to be meeting, Aki would've given up the scoop an hour ago.  
  
He was just prepping to pack his camera away when the building's door opened. Aki raised his camera to his eye and snapped off several shots. It was the Diet member he'd been investigating for the past month. Yasuda Masato's confirmation was fraught with whispered theories about how he'd gotten the needed votes to win when the incumbent of the race was so heavily favored. Since joining the governing body his fame had swiftly risen as he'd succeeded in getting several controversial agreements around imports through the Diet.  
  
Japan's economy was suffering from an overabundance of cheap foreign goods out of Korea and China. There was little in the way of equitable exports to match the imports and many members of the Diet had argued the relaxing of the rules around imports would worsen the current inflation the country suffered from. They should be strengthening the country's ability to export goods and products not inviting in foreign goods for which they already had numerous choices.  
  
Still it wasn't for that Akihito was investigating the man. No Aki had chosen this target after the body of his girlfriend of supposedly two years ago had turned up in a shipping container of exported electronic equipment when it was inspected in San Deigo, California, USA. The woman had been exsanguinated before her body had been loaded into one of the boxes marked as containing replacement parts for ink jet printers. The police in the states had sent the woman's body back to her family and the case was still open.  
  
What had caught Akihito's attention about the case was Yasuda's girlfriend had gone missing less than twenty-four hours after a national rag had published the girl was pregnant with Yasuda's child. That article had been printed less than two days after Yasuda had announced he was marrying the youngest daughter of another Diet member.  
  
The case had been incredible frustrating, all the evidence of the girl's death had pointed to a small drug gang in the girl's hometown. On the surface, it made sense, seeing as how the shipping container had left port from there and not from Tokyo where Yasuda lived. However, Aki still smelled something fishy, not two days after the article about the girl's death hit the newsstands Yasuda made headlines again with another idea passed in the Diet. Funds for the Organized Crime Department of the National Police Agency were rerouted to fund several road projects. Most of the funds went to his home district but enough of the other districts got money that it was easily overlooked. Several of the manufacturing groups across the country praised Yasuda with thinking of the country's need to ship products out to keep the economy going. The news had shunted the death of the girl off to the back pages effectively removing it from the country's attention.  
  
So Akihito started looking into her death. Each and every open question about the girl's death could be answered by Yasuda being involved. Aki had discovered the man had spent time with the new leader of a small Yakuza group in his home town while in University and certain actions the man had taken since becoming a Diet member clicked. The increase of new imports, the improvement of roads, and even the man's marriage to the other Diet member's daughter fit right in with the Yakuza group's increasing influence.  
  
What he still didn't have was a clear connection between the two men. It annoyed Akihito that he'd been unable to prove the connection. Tonight was supposed to fix that. So, here he sat clicking pictures of the young Diet member as he shook hands with Hora Shohta just before they exchanged brief cases. Hora opened his. It contained what looked to Aki like several file folders the top two had covers splattered with the red kanji marking them top top-secret and confidential. Yasuda didn't open his but his grin said enough. The two men parted ways.  
  
Aki waited another forty minutes before exiting the building through a back door on the opposite side of the building the men had met in. He jogged back to his new motorcycle where Kano, Takeo, and Toshiro unmolded from the shadows and met him. Takeo's face held a frown, "Takaba-sama, I was unaware you were seeking to bring down the Chi no Kage."  
  
Akihito paused in putting on his helmet and glanced at Takeo, "the who?"  
  
"The Chi no Kage, a flesh trade group, very loosely associated with the Russian underground presence here in Japan." Takeo put his own helmet on and climbed on his bike. He voice came through the com link each helmet had, "We should leave this place. I will tell you about them on the way."  
  
Aki slipped his own helmet over his head and climbed on his new bike. The four rolled out into the late night traffic quietly. None of them saw the person taking pictures of them as they left the meeting, the long range lens of the spy's camera allowing him to be several buildings away. His boss would be delighted to know the rat scurrying around his pet Diet member was none other than Asami Ryuichi's whore. The man chuckled, his boss would be even more excited when he learned there was a bounty out of Russia for the ugly gaijin, one hundred million US dollars was a lot of money.  
  
Akihto bid his guards goodnight at the penthouse door. He was mentally exhausted from the information Takeo had provided about the group he now had concrete proof Yasuda Masato was involved in. He wanted to bring Yasuda down. The man had either killed his pregnant girlfriend or ordered it to be done. He needed to pay for that. Yet, Aki knew he couldn't take on an internationally supported flesh trading group.  
  
He removed his tennis shoes. He glanced at the shoe cabinet as he shoved them their appointed slot. The dress shoes Asami had worn that morning were neatly sitting side by side in their cubby hole. Aki glanced at the clock, it was after four in the morning and he still had to pull the images from his camera and send them off with an article for the afternoon print. He rubbed his face before heading to the kitchen.  
  
His guards had tried to convince him to take advantage of one of Asami's all night clubs. He'd had to threaten to speed off without them to get them to drop the suggestion. Now however he realized how hungry he was, but he was also really tired. It was one of the reason he hated working in the cold. It always left him drained.  
  
He searched through the fridge until he found the fish and left over rice he'd made nearly two days before. He sniffed the fish with a suspicious glare before dumping it into the trash. Great now he'd have to take that out before the sun came up. There was no way he was leaving it to stink up his kitchen. A check on the rice had it following. Darkness swamped his vision and images of steel container walls rose in his head, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced his mind to think about the bad food. "This is why I need a convenience store closer than seven bloody blocks!"  
  
Asami, had just laid down in their bed when he heard Aki open the penthouse door and quietly bid his guards to go rest. He'd waited on the boy to climb in next to him for several minutes before giving up, slipping on his robe, placing his phone in his pocket, and crossing the apartment.  
  
He now leaned against one of the kitchen entrances as his kitten rummaged through the fridge and whispered in irritation about the lack of convenience store food being available to him. The boy was tying off the top of the trash bag he'd dumped left over fish and rice into when Asami finally spoke, "If you'd give Kirishima a list then he would make sure the kitchen remained stocked."  
  
"What the fuck!" Akihito leapt a foot off the ground before turning on Asami and glaring, "Damn it, bastard, could you stop sneaking up on people like that. You're going to kill me with a heart attack."  
  
Asami laughed and stepped fully into the kitchen, "Your stake out lasted a lot longer than Takeo thought it would." He pulled Akihito into his arms; the boy's clothing was cold as were his cheeks when Asami stroked them. "You should get into a warm bath before you catch a fever."  
  
"I'm starving; all we got for dinner were a handful of fries from a burger joint we passed on the way there." He picked up the bag he'd dropped to the floor, "And I had to throw out the fish from a couple of days ago; so, now I have to take this down to the combustibles."  
  
Asami looked into Akihito's eyes, his boy sounded tired. Extra tired, like something more than just a long day had taken place. He was about to ask him what was wrong when the phone in his robe pocket beeped.  
  
Akihito frowned at it and to Asami's surprise pulled it from his hand as he drew it out, "This had better not be Takeo telling you about my night or my scoop."  
  
Asami pulled the phone back into his possession and put it back into his pocket, "He only tells me when something you're doing could be dangerous to you."  
  
Aki glared at him, "He shouldn't be telling you anything." He stomped out of the kitchen.  
  
Asami followed him, "It is his job to assess threats to you and make sure you're protected from them."  
  
"That doesn't mean he has to tell you." Akihito stopped in the entryway and slipped on his canvas runners, "He should leave you out of it."  
  
Asami started to reply but was cut off when Aki just slipped out of the door with the bag of trash. He shook his head and pulled out the phone to check the message that had started his kitten's tirade. He unlocked the phone and the message was indeed from Takeo. It was brief but Asami understood immediately what the man was worried about. The Chi no Kage were not under Asami's influence. In truth they were one of the few groups that Asami had been subtly trying to oust from the Japanese underworld.  
  
So far there had been little success. Though, he had managed to curtail their imports and exports from the largest ports and airfields. Not a small feat; given he'd started the project with no idea whom the players were. Asami looked at the door and sighed. If Akihito knew what 'goods' the Chi no Kage smuggled he'd go after them directly.  
  
He turned from the door and placed two phone calls as he crossed the living area back to the kitchen. There he slipped his phone back into his pocket, started the rice cooker, and set coffee to brew before pulling out a pan, eggs, and the other ingredients needed for Omurice.  
  
Akihito jogged down the forty flights of stairs between the penthouse and the room where he could leave bags for the concierge to instruct maintenance to put out on the correct day. It was a benefit of the building he particularly liked. He could have gone down the elevator but he didn't want to encounter any of the several workers from Sion that he knew lived in the building.  
  
He tossed the bag into the correct bin and then leaned against the wall near the room's door. He had snapped at Asami. He hadn't meant to; it wasn't the man's fault that Aki was having second thoughts about the investigation he was doing. The man hadn't even read his phone message, for all Aki knew it had been Kirishima reminding the man of some important meeting.  
  
Gah, he's probably furious for me just walking out on him. Akihito frowned down at the concrete floor for several minutes before pushing away from the wall and jogging to the elevator. It would take him back up faster than his tired body could alone.  
  
He used the special code to keep the elevator from stopping at any other floor. It was something he had always been reluctant to do at the old penthouse. There had only been one elevator in the building and Aki didn't like inconveniencing others just for a faster elevator ride. This building, however, had four other lifts serving all the floors so he didn't feel quite as guilty skipping the others on his way up.  
  
He paused at the penthouse door. He needed to apologize. Yet, he still didn't want to discuss what had actually upset him. He'd have to at some point.  
  
Asami would be furious if he endangered himself, yet the girl's parent deserved to know who had killed their child and now there were all the parents of the people the Yakuza group had taken and harmed. Wasn't the purpose of his investigations to not just expose the evils of the world, but to help shut them down? Damn it he should be more worried about those things than Asami getting angry even knowing he'd need Asami's help to shut down any group associated with the flesh trade.  
  
Aki shivered, wrapping his arms about himself as cold washed over him. He shook his head and then pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He couldn't shake the sudden flood of images, a van full of children, the feeling in his fingers as he snapped picture after picture of the buyers and the sellers, and someone's voice and hands encouraging him to get out with the pictures before they were seen. Worst was the sounds assaulting his ears, whimpering and crying from the children over the sound of clanking chains all backed by the cold slap of water against the concrete pier. He moved his hands wrapping them around his head as he sunk to the floor.  
  
Asami put the cooked part of the Omurice into a ceramic dish and covered them with a sheet of foil before setting it into the oven to keep warm. He didn't want to cook the eggs until his boy was back from his trash run. He leaned against the counter and lit one of the Dunhills from the pack he kept in what Akihito referred to as their junk drawer. When he finished it with still no sign of his kitten, he grew worried. Surely the boy hadn't run off?  
  
He pulled his phone out checking the time as he flicked it open to call Suoh and Takeo. While he waited on his head of security to answer he strode to the penthouse door. He heard muffle sounds of crying just before Suoh answered, "Hai, Asami-sama."  
  
"Hold on." Asami slowly opened the door to find his kitten crouched on the floor with his arms wrapped around his head whimpering while tears coursed down his face. Asami slowly knelt and slipped his phone into his pocket. Speaking slowly but loud enough so that Suoh could hear he asked, "Akihito what's wrong?"  
  
Akihito looked up at the sound of Asami's voice. For a few seconds he looked like he didn't recognize him then he reached out, "Asami?" He glanced around the hallway and then shuddered, "That's right, I'm at home."  
  
Asami pulled the boy closer to him and picked him up bridal style; he worried when his Kitten not only failed to bristle but actually pressed his body closer. The boy was shaking and his skin had grown clammy. He carried his boy to the couch and laid him down, pulling the soft cashmere throw over him.  
  
It was then that Akihito fussed, "Don't I haven't showered, it'll get dirty."  
  
"Then I'll have Kei clean it." He settled on the edge of the couch and threaded his fingers through Akihito's hair, "Now want to tell me why you were crouched in the middle of the hallway outside our door?"  
  
The boy shook his head, "I can't."  
  
Asami frowned. "I thought we were past this." He was unable to keep his disappointment out of his voice.  
  
He went to stand only to have Akihito grab his arm, "I said 'I can't', not I won't." Aki used his grip on Asami's arm to sit up frowning at the shoes on his feet. "If I knew why it happens, I promise I would tell you."  
  
"Are you saying it's happened before?" Asami was growling at this point.  
  
Aki nodded his head, "I......" he trailed off and looked out of the large bank of windows making up the bulk of the living room outer wall. The blush of sun was staining the air outside and Aki knew that his pictures wouldn't be making the news that day. Part of him was glad; it would give him time to determine what, if any, help he really needed from his lover about the Chi no Kage.  
  
The name had sent a chill down his spin when Takeo had first uttered it earlier in the night. The longer Aki thought of it however the more his brain shied away from the information his guard had given him. Chains sounded in his head again, he put his hands over his ears and pulled his shoe covered feet upon the couch. Why was it so cold?  
  
"I'm still waiting on an answer to my question, Akihito." Asami's voice brought Aki's attention back to him and the boy frowned. He looked to Asami like he'd forgotten they were sitting in the penthouse next to each other and his kitten had curled into himself physically and mentally.  
  
Aki looked at Asami. Why was Asami in the cold container? He glanced around, and where were his sister and Hotaru. The pudgy, balding man, he'd traded the photos to, had said they'd be here. He'd promised Kuo he'd get Hotaru home. They were supposed to be here.  
  
"Akihito!"  
  
Strong arms grabbed him and pulled him close to a large warm chest. The room around him actually shuddered in his mind's eyes; then it blinked between the cold grey walls of a cargo trailer and the warm cream walls of the penthouse.  
  
Aki raised his head to find himself curled up on Asami's lap. He was shivering and though he knew the heater was running he was freezing from the clammy perspiration dripping into his eyes. His stomach churned as he shoved himself off of his lover's lap and ran to the bathroom.  
  
Asami rose to his feet ordering as he did, "Suoh, have Aibi-hakase to the penthouse in twenty minutes." He reached into his pocket and turned the phone off.  
  
Akihito had reached the point where he was only throwing up bile when he felt a cool cloth wipe his face. He shivered again his teeth rattling even though he knew he was clenching his jaw. He was cold and the stupid memories just kept coming. Though he was relieved he recognized them for what they were now.  
  
Stupid brain, they hadn't bothered him for nearly five years. Why now? Why come back when he wasn't actually in any danger? They had remained almost forgotten when Liu Fei Long had taken him to Hong Kong, when Sudo Shu had tried to knife his throat, and even when Long's helicopter had been hijacked and he and Asami had crashed. All of those adventures much more perilous than taking a few pictures of corrupt Diet members. Why, the fuck, were they swimming past his eyes now?  
  
Akihito pulled from Asami's arms again as the smell from the old fish wharf filled his nostrils. He threw up more bile as the smell of rotting fish swam in his nose. When he stopped he just laid down on the cold tile. Why, the fuck, did he have to remember the smell so well? What, the hell, was wrong with his brain?  
  
Asami wet a second cloth, this time with warm water. Akihito switched between muttering and throwing up. Whatever was going on had something to do with memories coming to visit the boy. Of what, Asami wasn't certain yet. Though, from his mutterings it was from before the two had met. He wiped his boy's face and reach over to fill the tub with steaming water. "Kitten, I need to wipe you down before putting you in the tub to warm up."  
  
He put and arm under his boy's shoulders and pulled him into his lap where he sat on the side of their deep tub. Akihito didn't fight and he didn't help as Asami pulled his clothes from him. He did look at him blankly before whispering, "so cold."  
  
"You'll be warm soon, Kitten."  
  
"I should tell you not to call me that, but frankly I don't much care at the moment. Your body is like a furnace. I had an old hot water one of them in my first apartment in Tokyo. I remember burning my fingers on it the first winter I spent there." He held up his left hand and looked at the fingers in memory. "The stupid thing never ran right and I had to bang on it to get the water flowing. The wrench I used fell down behind it and I touched it once as I bent down the fetch the thing. But see their all better now."  
  
Akihito knew he was babbling, but it kept the scary memories trying to flood his brain at bay. So he kept at it. He told Asami about his first assignment for his photography mentor. How horrid his pictures turned out and how depressed it had made him. He told the man about the small Shrine to Inari he'd found hidden in the back of the old run down park a couple of blocks from the same apartment.  
  
He'd spent some of his own money and time cleaning up and repairing the tiny building. His parents had raised him Shinto even though his mother had been Western US Methodist. Did Asami know that there were thousands of types of Christianity depending on how one counted them?  
  
Asami allowed his boy to babble as he wiped his skin down. It was slick with cold sweat. He should probably wash the boy's hair but forwent it in favor of lowering him into the steaming bath. Akihito closed his eyes and became quiet when the warm water covered him. Asami heard the door chime as someone requested entry. He stood only for Akihito's wet hand to shoot out and grabbed his wrist. "You're leaving?"  
  
The memory of the last time Akihito had asked him that question flashed through his thoughts. He briefly wondered where the two of them would be had he stayed that night. Now though he shook his head, "I'm just going to answer the door, Kitten." He grinned when his boy glared. Whatever had shaken the young man was either clearing his head or being properly categorized, if Akihito had the thought to get upset at his nickname again.  
  
Still the boy hadn't let go of his robe so he braced one hand on the tub's edge and wrapped the other about the back of his boy's head. "I'll be back in just a few minutes." He swiftly took the boy's mouth forcing his tongue past the surprised lips and kissed Akihito deeply. He didn't stop until Akihito's hand slipped back into the water. When he raised his head Akihito looked dazed again, this time for the right reason. "Stay and get warm."  
  
His phone beeped as he crossed the penthouse. He pulled his phone out and unlocked it. The message was from Kei asking if he needed additional assistance. He paused before answering either the message or the door. Did he need more help with his Kitten? He honestly wasn't certain considering he still didn't know quite what was going on. Still Kazumi was here with the doctor and he could always call Kei later; the man lived only a floor below him. He answered 'no' and opened the door.  
  
A short woman stood in the door frame. The top of her head barely reached his underarms. She didn't look like a person that had probably just been woken from sleep less than twenty minutes ago, though she didn't look much like a doctor either.  
  
Her feet were covered in pink tennis shoes. From under the dark pink sweatpants peeked what Asami thought must be similarly colored socks but with tiny blue hearts on them. She sported a dark pink long sleeve t-shirt over which she had pulled a bright blue and purple zip up hoodie made of the same fabric type as her pants. Looking at her attire would not lead one to believe she was a well-respected surgeon at one of Tokyo's largest hospitals.  
  
Still he frowned when he saw her face. It was unhappy and he could feel the lecture poised on her lips. "Before you start, no, I haven't been shot, yes, I still smoke, and yes, I still drink." He turned to let the woman in but paused and shot over his shoulder, "and yes I'm still a smuggler."  
  
"Still a right bastard as well," quipped the woman as she followed him, "but no medicine of mine will cure you."  
  
Asami gestured to the large overstuffed chair to the right of the couch and facing away from the hallway through which he'd be bringing Akihito back from the bath. "Yes, well I know how much time you spend trying to find one."  
  
The woman laughed, it was airy and to this day reminded Asami of someone that had gotten rather to tipsy on wine. He knew for certain that the woman was cold sober though. He could never remember her drinking now that he thought of it. "I need you to check out Akihito, he had some sort of episode when returning from taking something down to the trash."  
  
The woman turned serious, "Symptoms?" She sat the large lavender backpack she carried down at her feet. She pulled out a stethoscope, thermometer, blood pressure cuff, and several other small electronics as she listen to him explain what he knew.  
  
"I found him huddled on the floor outside the door. His hands and arms wrapped around his head like he expected someone to hit him." He glanced at the couch, "it took several calls of his name to get him to respond and even once he did it was like he wasn't all here."  
  
"He had broken out in a cold sweat and was shivering once I got him inside. He seemed to recover a little only to seconds later leap off the couch and throw up. He did that until he didn't have anything left to throw up. He was shivering so badly his teeth were chattering so I put him in a tub of steaming water."  
  
The older woman nodded, "Did he say anything, had he sustained any injuries you hadn't seen until you disrobed him?"  
  
Asami nearly smiled at the woman's assumption, even though it was true, "No, when I wiped him down before settling him into the bath he didn't have any more scrapes or bruises than normal."  
  
"Asami, who are you talking to?" Akihito's voice sounded from the bathroom.  
  
"Aibi-hakase is here to check on you."  
  
Both he and Aibi smiled when the heard the boy mutter, "what the fuck for?"  
  
He stood, wondered down the hall and poked his head into the bath, "Are you warm again?" Akihito was standing outside the tub trying to dry off. Asami smiled and said, "Let me grab you some clothes."  
  
Their walk in closet was attached to the bath by a sliding pocket door. Asami stepped through it and pulled out the warm flannel pajama bottoms and button up his boy liked to wear in the winter, along with one of his own large dark navy blue sweatshirts and a pair of the boy's thick boot socks. The last thing he grabbed was the top folded pair of the boy's printed boxer briefs.  
  
Akihito was sitting on the edge of the tub when he came back into the bathroom. He looked up and smiled, "I hope you got me something thick. I can't seem to stay warm."  
  
Asami frowned, "That is why Aibi-hakase is here." He set the items on the vanity counter and held out the underwear. They were purple with what looked like black fluff balls with eyes printed on one leg and a large rotund grey furred creature holding a pink umbrella next to a bus stop sign on the other. Asami shook his head at the things as Akihito rushed to pull them on. He hooked the boy's arm with a steadying hand when he almost tumbled. It worried him that his Kitten didn't hiss when he helped the boy hold his pants open to step into them and willingly leaned against him when he knelt to slip on the boy's socks.  
  
It was the look of relief Akihito gave him when he pulled the sweatshirt over the boy's head though and the whispered, "Sorry, I worried you." That had him gathering the boy close and hugging him.  
  
Akihito made it back out to the living room under his own power, mostly. He used his own feet but found he had to lean on Asami's arm to prevent tumbling over them. Damn it, he hadn't been this clumsy since grade school. Still he didn't protest the help, the man's gentle nudge to stretch out on the overstuffed couch, nor even the Cashmere throw being tucked around him for the second time that morning. He did blush.  
  
Aibi-hakese was Asami's personal physician and surgeon. Aki had met her when they moved into the building after the Sudo incident. He liked her. She found the trappings of wealth Asami surrounded himself with as ridiculous as he did and like him had no issue poking the panther in his own den. She was one hundred and fifty-two centimeters of 'been there and done that' attitude wrapped in pink. Though Aki had seen her swathed in several other pastels over the months they'd lived in the same complex.  
  
She was pink today though and had turned her business frown on him. As much as he liked it when she gave Asami that look, he felt the need to squirm under it and confess everything he'd ever done. From the cookies he'd taken from his grandmother's cooling tray at nine to the councilor's convertible he'd hotwired at twelve. So he wasn't surprised when he stuttered as he greeted her, "Good Morning, Aibi-hakese."  
  
"Good morning, Akihito-kun." She stood picking up the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope as she rose. "I understand you've been feeling unwell." She pulled his arm out and wrapped the cuff about it as she talked. "Want to tell me what happened in the hallway to make Ryuichi this worried?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Aki glanced up at Asami who was frowning down at him. "I'm not." He felt Aibi pull the cuff from his arm and place one the little sensors on his finger before tucking back under the blanket but he kept his eyes on Asami. "I had come back upstairs to apologize. I shouldn't have snapped at you about Takeo." He looked down at his lap, "then all the sudden I wasn't in the hallway. I was…" he sucked a breath in and held it. The memories were trying to swamp him again.  
  
He didn't feel Asami come around the couch, pick him up and set him in his lap. He wasn't aware of much but being afraid until the man took his lips. The kiss pulled him back to the present and into the warmth of the man's arms.  
  
Asami pulled back from the kiss, glad it had brought Akihito back from where ever his memories had taken him. He reached up and wiped the boy's lip with his thumb, "Are you back with me?"  
  
Akihito nodded, "Sorry, I don't know why they're coming back now."  
  
Aibi chuckled, "Wonders of the human mind. It never works the way you think it should."  
  
Aki felt her push his sleeve up and glanced down to see her tie off his arm to draw blood. He turned his head back into Asami's chest. He hated needles, so much he didn't care who knew. They never felt like tiny pricks when they entered him and he always felt like they'd gotten left behind even though he knew they hadn't been.  
  
He felt the tourniquet release and Aibi-hakese hum. Before she said, "Well, I don't know much about how memories work, but I do know a viral fever when I see one." She tugged her backpack closer and dug through the front pocket before pulling out a foil pack of tablets. "You're running a fever, a rather high one. I want you to take three of these a day, with food."  
  
She pulled out two long plastic tubes and sterile swabs with long sticks. "I'm going to treat you with antivirals but I need to test you for Influenza." She pulled on another pair of blue plastic gloves, took both swabs out of their packs and turned to him. "Lean your head back and relax, or this will be more than just uncomfortable."  
  
Aki just closed his eyes, having his nose swabbed was better than a needle any day. Even if it felt like she shoved them into his brain through his nostrils. Soon enough though she was sliding them into their individual test tubes and writing his name on them, before stowing them into her bag.  
  
She stood, "If you're not feeling better by this time tomorrow come by the hospital." She looked at Asami then, "Same instructions if his fever doesn't go down in the next two or three hours or gets worse. He's hovering around thirty-nine degrees and it could get dangerous if it doesn't start coming down. Influenza has been particularly brutal this year with swift onset and lingering symptoms."  
  
Akihito didn't see her slant her eyes at the door as she talked. Asami laid him back down on the couch and followed her out though. He could hear them murmuring as Suoh offered to escort her to the hospital. Aki looked out the living room windows the sun had come up while the doctor had looked him over and now bounced off the nearby buildings to stream through the glass panes in overlapping rainbows. His fingers itched for his camera as he watched the bouncing light.  
  
He glanced up when warm fingers carded through his hair and deep voice said, "Neither Aibi-hakese or I believe that an onset of the flu fully explains what has been happening to you over the past hour."  
  
Aki looked back at the sunlight streaming onto their floor. "It doesn't. I just don't know what really does. I didn't have this reaction when it happened so I don't know how to explain why I'm reacting this way now."  
  
Asami sat on the coffee table, "Maybe you could tell me and we'll figure it out together."  
  
"Ok." He looked back at Asami only for his stomach to growl loudly. He glanced down at it, "Stupid, you didn't want to hold anything down an hour ago, why are you hungry now?"  
  
Asami laughed and ruffled his hair, "I had most of an Omurice made before you got back upstairs, I'll go see if I can salvage it."  
  
His boy glanced up in surprise, "You know how to make Omurice?" He pushed himself onto his feet but pulled the blanket around his shoulders before following Asami into the kitchen, "This I have to see."  
  
Asami frowned at him when they reached the kitchen and pointed to the stools sitting at their bar top counter. "Sit down; you're still not steady on your feet."  
  
"I'm getting to that." Akihito pulled himself onto a stool and watched as Asami pulled out a ceramic dish from the oven.  
  
Asami poked the mixture with a pair of chopsticks before nodding, "It won't be as good but it will do." He sat the dish on the counter top and cracked two eggs into a bowl before adding a touch of water and milk. He whisked the mixture with clean chopsticks and poured it into a warmed skillet. When he was satisfied that the egg had set he poured half of the mixture into the pan and spread it about evenly.  
  
He pulled a plate down and turned the omelet onto it before carrying it over to Akihito with a small bottle of ketchup, "I don't like ketchup in mine, but," He set the plate down and drew on the folded egg with the red sauce. When he turned it to Akihito it had a cat face drawn on it.  
  
Aki frowned up at him. "Why do you persist with this?" He picked up his chopsticks and pointed at the omelet.  
  
"Because you are one," Asami turned back to the stove continuing over Akihito's huff of annoyance. "You always land on your feet; you never give up, and when you're upset or angry you puff out with your little kitten claws and fur while you hiss at whatever irritated you." He turned his own omelet on to a plate and placed it across from Akihito on the counter. He turn and pulled out orange juice and a large glass before setting them next to his boy and pouring himself a cup of coffee.  
  
They ate in companionable silence for several minutes or at least Asami ate. After the first three or four bites of the dish Akihito more played with his food than ate and his gaze kept wondering to look out the windows backing the combined living, dinning, and bar area. "Hey." Asami called and then looked down at the boy's unfinished meal, "You should eat a few more bites even it isn't all that great. You need food in your stomach for the meds."  
  
Akihito looked down at his unfinished plate, "Sorry, it really is good. I just…." He trailed off and looked out of the window again. "Do you ever wish you'd done things differently?"  
  
"I was taught that regretting your decisions was futile, and over the years I have found little benefit in self-recrimination." He pushed the orange juice and one of the tablets Aibi-hakese left towards the boy. "However I don't think we're talking about me are we?"  
  
Aki shook his head 'no'; then he grabbed the pill and swallowed it down finishing the orange juice in several gulps.  
  
Asami stood and picked up both of their plates, "You should go to bed."  
  
Akihito slid off the stool and took handful of unsteady steps towards the hall. He paused and turned around, "Asami, if I told you something would you keep it secret? I mean truly secret. You wouldn't tell Kirishima-san or Suoh-san."  
  
Asami set the plates in his hands down and frowned at his boy, "It would depend on the reason. There is very little I don't tell my two most trusted friends and partners. We've worked too hard to build Sion together for me to keep things from them now."  
  
"Oh." Akihito's shoulders slumped and he turned to walk away only for Asami's voice to stop him.  
  
"For you though," Asami paused then took a deep breath, "For you though I promise." He stepped up behind Akihito hearing the boy's breath hitch, "I would like to know why you need me to, though."  
  
"You want to know what's been crawling through my brain these past couple of hours," Akihito looked over his shoulder at Asami, "but it's not just my secret."  
  
Asami wrapped his arms about Akihito, "Then I'll help you keep it." He kissed the boy's head, "Go to bed and I'll join you shortly. You can tell me when you wake up." He glanced at the clock on the wall, "When we both wake up. It's been nearly twenty-four hours since either of us has slept."  
  
Akihito nodded; then he half stumbled across the living area and down the hallway. Asami watched until the boy past their bedroom door and then took the remains of their breakfast and put it down the garbage. He quickly washed the few dishes they'd used, put them away, and turned out the kitchen lights. He turned out the other lights in the penthouse as he made his way through it.  
  
He found his kitten curled in the middle of their bed, the comforter piled on top of him and mostly asleep. He pulled off his robe and slid into the bed. Akihito cracked his eyes enough to snuff and reach out to him. Asami smiled and pulled the boy to his body, arranging him along his left side tucked under his arm with Akihito's head resting over his heart. Aki gave a sigh and slipped into full slumber. 

**Author's Note:**

> oshibka - Russian word for Mistake  
> genkan - Entryway for most Japanese homes (I am aware most of you know this one)  
> getabako - shoe cupboard  
> uwabaki - indoor shoes (not always slippers this also covers the indoor shoes used in schools)


End file.
